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4 @settitle Gnus 5.4.67 Manual
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255 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
262 \thispagestyle{empty}
264 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
266 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
267 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
268 are preserved on all copies.
270 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
271 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
272 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
273 permission notice identical to this one.
275 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
276 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
285 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
287 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
289 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
290 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
291 are preserved on all copies.
294 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
295 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
296 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
297 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
300 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
301 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
302 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
303 permission notice identical to this one.
305 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
306 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
312 @title Gnus 5.4.67 Manual
314 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
317 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
318 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
320 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
321 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
322 are preserved on all copies.
324 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
325 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
326 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
327 permission notice identical to this one.
329 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
330 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
339 @top The Gnus Newsreader
343 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
344 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
345 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
348 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.4.67.
359 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
360 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
362 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
363 being accused of plagiarism:
365 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
366 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
367 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
368 even read news with it!
370 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
371 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
372 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
373 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
374 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
381 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
382 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
383 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
384 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
385 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
386 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
387 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
388 * Various:: General purpose settings.
389 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
390 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
391 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
392 * Key Index:: Key Index.
396 @chapter Starting Gnus
401 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
402 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
405 @findex gnus-other-frame
406 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
407 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
408 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
410 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
414 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
415 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
416 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
417 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
418 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
419 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
420 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
421 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
422 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
423 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
424 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
428 @node Finding the News
429 @section Finding the News
432 @vindex gnus-select-method
434 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
435 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
436 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
437 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
440 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
441 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
444 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
447 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
450 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
453 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
454 certainly be much faster.
456 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
458 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
459 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
460 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
461 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
462 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
463 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
465 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
466 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
467 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
468 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
470 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
471 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
472 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
473 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
474 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
475 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
477 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
479 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
480 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
481 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
482 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
483 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
484 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
486 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
488 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
489 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
490 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
491 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
492 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
493 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
496 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
497 would typically set this variable to
500 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
505 @section The First Time
506 @cindex first time usage
508 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
509 be subscribed by default.
511 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
512 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
513 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
514 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
517 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
518 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
519 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
521 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
522 help you with most common problems.
524 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
525 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
529 @node The Server is Down
530 @section The Server is Down
531 @cindex server errors
533 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
534 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
535 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
537 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
538 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
539 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
540 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
541 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
542 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
543 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
545 @findex gnus-no-server
546 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
548 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
549 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
550 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
551 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
552 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
553 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
558 @section Slave Gnusae
561 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
562 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
563 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
564 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
566 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
569 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
570 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
571 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
572 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
573 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
574 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
575 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
577 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
578 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
579 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
580 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
581 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
582 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
583 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
584 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
586 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
587 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
590 @node Fetching a Group
591 @section Fetching a Group
592 @cindex fetching a group
594 @findex gnus-fetch-group
595 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
596 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
597 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
598 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
599 It takes the group name as a parameter.
607 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
608 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
609 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
610 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
611 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
612 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
613 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
614 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
615 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
618 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
619 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
620 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
624 @node Checking New Groups
625 @subsection Checking New Groups
627 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
628 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
629 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
630 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
631 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
632 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
633 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
634 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
635 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
636 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
638 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
639 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
640 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
641 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
642 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
643 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
644 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
645 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
646 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
647 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
648 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
650 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
651 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
652 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
653 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
654 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
655 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
658 @node Subscription Methods
659 @subsection Subscription Methods
661 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
662 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
663 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
665 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
666 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
668 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
672 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
673 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
674 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
675 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
676 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
678 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
679 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
680 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
682 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
683 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
684 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
686 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
687 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
688 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
689 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
690 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
691 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
692 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
693 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
694 up. Or something like that.
696 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
697 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
698 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
699 you about @strong{all} new groups.
701 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
702 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
707 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
708 A closely related variable is
709 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
710 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
711 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
712 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
715 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
716 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
717 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
718 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
721 @node Filtering New Groups
722 @subsection Filtering New Groups
724 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
725 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
726 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
729 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
732 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
733 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
734 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
735 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
736 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
737 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
738 subscribing these groups.
739 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
740 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
742 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
743 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
744 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
745 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
746 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
747 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
748 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
749 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
751 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
752 Yet another variable that meddles here is
753 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
754 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
755 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
756 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
757 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
758 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
759 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
760 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
762 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
763 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
766 @node Changing Servers
767 @section Changing Servers
768 @cindex changing servers
770 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
771 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
772 very flaky and you want to use another.
774 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
775 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
779 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
780 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
781 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
782 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
785 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
786 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
787 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
788 functions more than absolutely necessary.
790 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
791 @findex gnus-change-server
792 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
793 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
794 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
795 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
796 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
798 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
799 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
800 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
801 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
802 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
804 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
805 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
806 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
807 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
808 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
809 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
813 @section Startup Files
814 @cindex startup files
819 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
820 information is traditionally stored in this file.
822 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
823 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
824 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
825 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
826 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
827 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
828 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
830 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
831 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
832 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
833 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
835 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
836 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
837 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
838 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
839 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
840 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
842 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
843 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
844 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
845 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
846 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
847 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
848 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
849 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
850 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
851 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
852 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
853 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
855 @vindex gnus-startup-file
856 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
857 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
858 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
860 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
861 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
862 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
863 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
864 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
865 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
866 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
867 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
868 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
869 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
872 (defun turn-off-backup ()
873 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
875 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
876 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
879 @vindex gnus-init-file
880 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
881 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
882 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
883 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
884 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
885 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
886 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
887 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
888 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
897 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
898 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
899 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
900 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
901 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
904 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
905 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
908 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
909 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
910 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
912 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
913 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
914 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
915 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
916 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
917 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
920 @node The Active File
921 @section The Active File
923 @cindex ignored groups
925 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
926 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
927 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
929 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
930 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
931 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
932 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
933 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
934 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
935 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
938 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
939 @c if you set it to anything else.
941 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
943 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
944 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
945 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
947 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
948 you actually subscribe to.
950 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
951 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
952 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
953 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
955 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
956 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
957 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
958 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
959 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
960 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
962 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
963 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
964 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
965 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
966 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
967 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
969 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
970 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
972 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
973 secondary select methods.
976 @node Startup Variables
977 @section Startup Variables
982 @vindex gnus-load-hook
983 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
984 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
985 times you start Gnus.
987 @item gnus-startup-hook
988 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
989 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
991 @item gnus-started-hook
992 @vindex gnus-started-hook
993 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
996 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
997 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
998 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
999 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1000 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1001 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1002 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1003 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1005 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1006 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1007 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1008 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1009 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1010 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1012 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1013 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1014 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1016 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1017 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1018 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1020 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1021 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1022 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1023 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1028 @node The Group Buffer
1029 @chapter The Group Buffer
1030 @cindex group buffer
1032 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1033 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1034 long as Gnus is active.
1038 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1039 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1040 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1041 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1042 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1043 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1044 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1045 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1051 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1052 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1053 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1054 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1055 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1056 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1057 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1058 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1059 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1060 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1061 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1062 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1063 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1064 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1065 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1066 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1067 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1071 @node Group Buffer Format
1072 @section Group Buffer Format
1075 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1076 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1077 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1081 @node Group Line Specification
1082 @subsection Group Line Specification
1083 @cindex group buffer format
1085 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1086 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1088 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1091 25: news.announce.newusers
1092 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1097 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1098 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1099 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1100 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1102 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1103 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1104 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1105 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1106 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1107 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1109 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1111 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1112 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1113 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1114 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1117 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1118 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1119 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1121 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1126 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1129 Whether the group is subscribed.
1132 Level of subscribedness.
1135 Number of unread articles.
1138 Number of dormant articles.
1141 Number of ticked articles.
1144 Number of read articles.
1147 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1148 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1151 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1154 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1163 Newsgroup description.
1166 @samp{m} if moderated.
1169 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1178 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1182 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1185 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1186 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1187 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1188 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1189 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1192 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1194 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1198 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1202 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1203 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1204 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1205 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1206 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1207 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1212 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1213 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1214 group, or a bogus native group.
1217 @node Group Modeline Specification
1218 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1219 @cindex group modeline
1221 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1222 The mode line can be changed by setting
1223 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1224 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1228 The native news server.
1230 The native select method.
1234 @node Group Highlighting
1235 @subsection Group Highlighting
1236 @cindex highlighting
1237 @cindex group highlighting
1239 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1240 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1241 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1242 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1243 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1245 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1249 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1251 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1252 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1253 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1255 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1257 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1259 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))))
1262 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1269 The number of unread articles in the group.
1273 Whether the group is a mail group.
1275 The level of the group.
1277 The score of the group.
1279 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1281 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1282 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1284 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1285 topic being inserted.
1288 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1289 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1290 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1292 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1293 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1294 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1295 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1296 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1299 @node Group Maneuvering
1300 @section Group Maneuvering
1301 @cindex group movement
1303 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1304 expected, hopefully.
1310 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1311 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1312 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1318 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1319 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1320 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1324 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1325 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1329 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1330 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1334 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1335 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1336 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1340 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1341 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1342 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1345 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1351 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1352 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1353 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1358 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1359 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1360 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1364 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1365 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1366 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1369 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1370 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1371 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1372 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1376 @node Selecting a Group
1377 @section Selecting a Group
1378 @cindex group selection
1383 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1384 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1385 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1386 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1387 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1388 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1389 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1390 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1391 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1392 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1396 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1397 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1398 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1399 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1400 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1404 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1405 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1406 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1407 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1408 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1409 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1410 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1411 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer.
1412 This might be useful if you want to toggle threading before entering the
1416 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1417 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1418 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1419 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1420 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1423 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1424 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1425 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1426 doing any processing of its contents
1427 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1428 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1429 manner will have no permanent effects.
1433 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1434 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1435 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1436 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1437 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1438 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1439 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1440 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1443 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1444 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1445 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1446 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1451 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1452 full summary buffer.
1455 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1458 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1462 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1463 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1464 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1468 @node Subscription Commands
1469 @section Subscription Commands
1470 @cindex subscription
1478 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1479 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1480 Toggle subscription to the current group
1481 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1487 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1488 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1489 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1490 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1496 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1497 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1498 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1504 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1505 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1508 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1509 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1510 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1511 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1512 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1518 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1519 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1523 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1524 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1527 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1528 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1529 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1530 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1531 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1532 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1533 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1534 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1535 @file{.newsrc} file.
1539 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1549 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1550 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1551 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1552 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1553 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1554 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1559 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1560 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1561 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1565 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1566 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1567 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1569 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1570 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1571 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1572 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1573 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1574 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1581 @section Group Levels
1585 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1586 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1587 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1588 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1589 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1591 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1597 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1598 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1599 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1600 prompted for a level.
1603 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1604 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1605 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1606 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1607 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1608 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1609 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1610 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1611 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1612 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1613 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1614 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1615 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1616 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1617 reasons of efficiency.
1619 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1620 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1622 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1623 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1624 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1626 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1627 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1628 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1629 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1630 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1631 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1632 relevant legal ranges.
1634 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1635 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1636 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1637 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1638 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1639 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1642 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1643 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1644 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1647 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1648 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1649 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1650 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1653 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1654 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1655 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1656 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1658 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1659 Gnus will normally just activate groups on level
1660 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1661 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1662 5. The default is 6.
1666 @section Group Score
1669 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1670 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1671 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1674 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1675 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1676 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1677 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1678 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1679 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1680 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1682 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1683 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1684 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1685 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1686 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1687 action after each summary exit, you can add
1688 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1689 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1690 slow things down somewhat.
1693 @node Marking Groups
1694 @section Marking Groups
1695 @cindex marking groups
1697 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1698 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1699 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1700 bidding on those groups.
1702 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1703 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1704 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1712 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1713 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1719 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1720 Remove the mark from the current group
1721 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1725 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1726 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1730 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1731 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1735 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1736 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1740 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1741 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1742 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1745 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1747 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1748 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1749 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1750 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1751 the command to be executed.
1754 @node Foreign Groups
1755 @section Foreign Groups
1756 @cindex foreign groups
1758 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1759 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1760 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1761 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1768 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1769 @cindex making groups
1770 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1771 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1772 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1776 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1777 @cindex renaming groups
1778 Rename the current group to something else
1779 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1780 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1786 @findex gnus-group-customize
1787 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1791 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1792 @cindex renaming groups
1793 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1794 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1798 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1799 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1800 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1804 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1805 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1806 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1810 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1812 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1813 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1818 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1819 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1823 @cindex (ding) archive
1824 @cindex archive group
1825 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1826 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1827 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1828 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1829 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1830 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1831 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1835 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1837 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1838 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1839 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1840 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1844 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1846 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1847 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1848 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1852 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1853 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1855 Make a group based on some file or other
1856 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1857 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1858 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1859 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1860 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
1861 this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type.
1862 @xref{Document Groups}.
1866 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1871 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1872 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1873 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1874 search engine type and the search string. Legal search engine types
1875 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1876 @xref{Web Searches}.
1879 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1880 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1881 This function will delete the current group
1882 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1883 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1884 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1885 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1889 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1890 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1891 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1895 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1896 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1897 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1900 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1903 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1904 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1905 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1906 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1907 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1910 @node Group Parameters
1911 @section Group Parameters
1912 @cindex group parameters
1914 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1919 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1920 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1921 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1922 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1923 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1924 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1925 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1926 copies of your followups.
1928 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1929 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1930 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1931 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1932 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1933 list address instead.
1937 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1938 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1939 doing a @kbd{a} in that group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1940 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1941 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1943 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
1944 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
1945 sending the message.
1949 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
1950 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
1951 of whether it has any unread articles.
1953 @item broken-reply-to
1954 @cindex broken-reply-to
1955 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1956 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1957 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1958 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1959 broken behavior. So there!
1963 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
1964 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
1968 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, Gnus will treat
1969 all responses as if they were responses to news articles. This can be
1970 useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a news group.
1974 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list and set to
1975 @code{t}, newly composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current
1976 group. If it is present and set to @code{none}, no @code{Gcc:} header
1977 will be generated, if it is present and a string, this string will be
1978 inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header (this symbol takes precedence over
1979 any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later).
1983 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
1984 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
1985 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1988 @cindex total-expire
1989 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
1990 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
1991 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1992 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
1997 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1998 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1999 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2000 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2001 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2002 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2005 @cindex score file group parameter
2006 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2007 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
2008 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
2011 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2012 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2013 @file{file} into the current adaptive score file for the group in
2014 question. All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2017 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2018 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2019 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2020 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2023 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2024 display on entering the group. Legal values are:
2028 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2031 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2036 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2037 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2038 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2041 @item @var{(variable form)}
2042 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2043 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2044 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2045 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2046 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2047 @code{eval}ed there.
2049 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2050 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2051 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2052 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2053 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2057 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
2059 @pxref{Topic Parameters}.
2061 Here's an example group parameter list:
2064 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2069 @node Listing Groups
2070 @section Listing Groups
2071 @cindex group listing
2073 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2081 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2082 List all groups that have unread articles
2083 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2084 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2085 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2086 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2093 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2094 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2095 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2096 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2097 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2098 unsubscribed groups).
2102 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2103 List all unread groups on a specific level
2104 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2105 with no unread articles.
2109 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2110 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2111 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2112 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2117 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2118 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2122 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2123 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2124 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2128 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2129 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2133 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2134 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2135 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2136 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2137 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2138 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2139 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2140 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2144 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2145 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2146 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2150 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2151 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2152 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2156 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2157 @cindex visible group parameter
2158 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2159 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2160 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2161 get the same effect.
2163 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2164 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2165 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2166 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2167 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2170 @node Sorting Groups
2171 @section Sorting Groups
2172 @cindex sorting groups
2174 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2175 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2176 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2177 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2178 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2179 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2184 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2185 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2186 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2188 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2189 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2190 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2192 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2193 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2194 Sort by group level.
2196 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2197 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2198 Sort by group score.
2200 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2201 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2202 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2203 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
2205 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2206 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2207 Sort by number of unread articles.
2209 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2210 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2211 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2216 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2217 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2221 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2222 some sorting criteria:
2226 @kindex G S a (Group)
2227 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2228 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2229 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2232 @kindex G S u (Group)
2233 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2234 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2235 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2238 @kindex G S l (Group)
2239 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2240 Sort the group buffer by group level
2241 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2244 @kindex G S v (Group)
2245 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2246 Sort the group buffer by group score
2247 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
2250 @kindex G S r (Group)
2251 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2252 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2253 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2256 @kindex G S m (Group)
2257 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2258 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2259 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2263 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2265 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2269 @kindex G P a (Group)
2270 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2271 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2272 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2275 @kindex G P u (Group)
2276 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2277 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2278 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2281 @kindex G P l (Group)
2282 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2283 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2284 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2287 @kindex G P v (Group)
2288 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2289 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2290 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}).
2293 @kindex G P r (Group)
2294 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2295 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2296 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}).
2299 @kindex G P m (Group)
2300 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2301 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2302 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2308 @node Group Maintenance
2309 @section Group Maintenance
2310 @cindex bogus groups
2315 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2316 Find bogus groups and delete them
2317 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2321 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2322 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2323 If given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2327 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2328 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2329 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2330 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2333 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2334 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2335 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2336 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2341 @node Browse Foreign Server
2342 @section Browse Foreign Server
2343 @cindex foreign servers
2344 @cindex browsing servers
2349 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2350 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2351 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2352 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2355 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2356 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2357 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2358 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2360 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2365 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2366 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2370 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2371 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2374 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2375 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2376 Enter the current group and display the first article
2377 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2380 @kindex RET (Browse)
2381 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2382 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2386 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2387 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2388 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2394 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2395 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2399 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2400 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2401 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2406 @section Exiting Gnus
2407 @cindex exiting Gnus
2409 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2414 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2415 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2416 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2417 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2421 @findex gnus-group-exit
2422 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2423 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2427 @findex gnus-group-quit
2428 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2429 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2432 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2433 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2434 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2435 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2436 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2441 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2442 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2443 trying to customize meta-variables.
2448 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2449 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2450 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2456 @section Group Topics
2459 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2460 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2461 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2462 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2463 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2464 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2468 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2469 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2480 2: alt.religion.emacs
2483 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2485 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2486 13: comp.sources.unix
2489 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2491 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2492 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2493 is a toggling command.)
2495 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2496 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2497 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2498 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2501 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2502 the hook for the group mode:
2505 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2509 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2510 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2511 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2512 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2513 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2517 @node Topic Variables
2518 @subsection Topic Variables
2519 @cindex topic variables
2521 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2522 really neat, I think.
2524 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2525 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2526 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2539 Number of groups in the topic.
2541 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2543 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2546 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2547 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2548 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2551 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2552 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2554 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2555 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2556 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2559 @node Topic Commands
2560 @subsection Topic Commands
2561 @cindex topic commands
2563 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2564 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2565 definitions slightly.
2571 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2572 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2573 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2577 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2578 Move the current group to some other topic
2579 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2580 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2584 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2585 Copy the current group to some other topic
2586 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2587 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2591 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2592 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2593 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2594 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2598 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2599 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2600 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2604 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2605 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2606 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2610 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2611 Toggle hiding empty topics
2612 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2616 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2617 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2618 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2621 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2622 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2623 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2624 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2628 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2630 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2631 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2632 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2633 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2634 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2635 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2638 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2639 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2640 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2641 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2642 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2646 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2647 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2648 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2652 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2653 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2654 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2659 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2660 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2663 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2664 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2665 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2669 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2670 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2671 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2675 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2676 @cindex group parameters
2677 @cindex topic parameters
2679 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2680 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2686 @subsection Topic Sorting
2687 @cindex topic sorting
2689 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2695 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2696 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2697 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2698 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2701 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2702 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2703 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2704 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2707 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2708 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2709 Sort the current topic by group level
2710 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2713 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2714 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2715 Sort the current topic by group score
2716 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}).
2719 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2720 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2721 Sort the current topic by group rank
2722 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2725 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2726 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2727 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2728 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2732 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2735 @node Topic Topology
2736 @subsection Topic Topology
2737 @cindex topic topology
2740 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2746 2: alt.religion.emacs
2749 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2751 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2752 13: comp.sources.unix
2755 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2756 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2757 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2762 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2763 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2767 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2768 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2769 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2770 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2771 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2772 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2774 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2775 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2776 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2779 @node Topic Parameters
2780 @subsection Topic Parameters
2781 @cindex topic parameters
2783 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2784 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2785 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2787 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2788 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2789 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2790 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2796 2: alt.religion.emacs
2800 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2802 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2803 13: comp.sources.unix
2807 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2808 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2809 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2810 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2811 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2812 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2814 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2815 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2816 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2817 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2818 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2820 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2821 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2822 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2823 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2824 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2825 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2826 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2827 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2830 @node Misc Group Stuff
2831 @section Misc Group Stuff
2834 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2835 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2836 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2837 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2844 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2845 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2846 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2850 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2851 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2852 group name will be used as the default.
2856 @findex gnus-group-mail
2857 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2861 Variables for the group buffer:
2865 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2866 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2867 is called after the group buffer has been
2870 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2871 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2872 is called after the group buffer is
2873 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2876 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2877 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2878 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2879 whether they are empty or not.
2884 @node Scanning New Messages
2885 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2886 @cindex new messages
2887 @cindex scanning new news
2893 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2894 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
2895 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2896 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2897 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2898 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
2903 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2904 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2905 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
2906 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2907 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2908 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2909 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2911 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2912 @cindex activating groups
2914 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2915 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2920 @findex gnus-group-restart
2921 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2922 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2923 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
2927 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2928 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2930 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2931 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2935 @node Group Information
2936 @subsection Group Information
2937 @cindex group information
2938 @cindex information on groups
2945 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2946 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
2949 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2950 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2951 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2952 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
2953 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
2954 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
2955 for fetching the file.
2957 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
2958 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
2962 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
2964 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
2965 @cindex describing groups
2966 @cindex group description
2967 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2968 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2969 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2973 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2974 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2975 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2982 @findex gnus-version
2983 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2987 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2988 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2991 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2994 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2995 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2999 @node Group Timestamp
3000 @subsection Group Timestamp
3002 @cindex group timestamps
3004 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3005 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3006 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3009 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3012 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3014 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3015 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3018 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3019 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3022 This will result in lines looking like:
3025 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3026 0: custom 19961002T012713
3029 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3030 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3034 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3035 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3040 @subsection File Commands
3041 @cindex file commands
3047 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3048 @vindex gnus-init-file
3049 @cindex reading init file
3050 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3051 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3055 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3056 @cindex saving .newsrc
3057 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3058 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3059 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3062 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3063 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3064 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3069 @node The Summary Buffer
3070 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3071 @cindex summary buffer
3073 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3074 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3076 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3077 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3079 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3082 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3083 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3084 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3085 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3086 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3087 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3088 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3089 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3090 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3091 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3092 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3093 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3094 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3095 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3096 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3097 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3098 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3099 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3100 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3101 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3102 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3103 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3104 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3105 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3106 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3107 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3108 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3112 @node Summary Buffer Format
3113 @section Summary Buffer Format
3114 @cindex summary buffer format
3118 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3119 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3120 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3126 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3127 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3128 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3131 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3132 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3133 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3134 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3135 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3136 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3137 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3138 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3139 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3140 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3141 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3143 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3144 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3145 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3146 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
3149 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3150 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3152 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3153 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3154 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3155 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3156 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3158 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3160 The following format specification characters are understood:
3168 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
3169 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3170 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
3172 Full @code{From} header.
3174 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3176 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3177 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3178 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3179 may be more thorough.
3181 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3184 Number of lines in the article.
3186 Number of characters in the article.
3188 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3190 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3191 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3193 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3194 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3196 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3197 for adopted articles.
3199 One space for each thread level.
3201 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3209 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3210 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3211 default level. If the difference between
3212 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
3213 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3221 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3223 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3229 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3230 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3232 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3233 article has any children.
3237 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3238 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3239 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3240 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3241 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3242 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3245 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3246 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3247 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3248 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
3249 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3250 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3252 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3253 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3255 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3258 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3259 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3261 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3262 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
3263 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. The default
3264 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3266 Here are the elements you can play with:
3272 Unprefixed group name.
3274 Current article number.
3278 Number of unread articles in this group.
3280 Number of unselected articles in this group.
3282 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3283 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3284 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3285 and no unselected ones.
3287 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3288 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3290 Subject of the current article.
3294 Name of the current score file.
3296 Number of dormant articles.
3298 Number of ticked articles.
3300 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3302 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3306 @node Summary Highlighting
3307 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3311 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3312 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3313 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3314 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3315 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3317 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3318 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3319 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3320 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3322 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3323 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3324 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3325 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3327 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3328 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3329 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3330 list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3331 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3332 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3334 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3335 ((> score default) . bold))
3337 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3338 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3342 @node Summary Maneuvering
3343 @section Summary Maneuvering
3344 @cindex summary movement
3346 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3347 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3349 None of these commands select articles.
3354 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3355 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3356 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3357 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3358 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3362 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3363 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3364 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3365 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3366 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3371 @kindex G j (Summary)
3372 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3373 Ask for an article number and then go to that article
3374 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3377 @kindex G g (Summary)
3378 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3379 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3380 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3383 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3384 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3385 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3386 to the group buffer.
3388 Variables related to summary movement:
3392 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3393 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3394 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3395 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3396 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3397 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3398 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3399 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3400 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3401 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3402 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3403 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3404 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3405 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3407 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3408 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3409 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3410 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3411 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3412 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3413 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3415 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3416 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3417 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3418 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3419 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3421 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3422 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3423 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3424 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3425 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3426 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3427 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3428 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3434 @node Choosing Articles
3435 @section Choosing Articles
3436 @cindex selecting articles
3439 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3440 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3444 @node Choosing Commands
3445 @subsection Choosing Commands
3447 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3448 and they all select and display an article.
3452 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3453 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3454 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3455 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3460 @kindex G n (Summary)
3461 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3462 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3463 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3468 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3469 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3470 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3475 @kindex G N (Summary)
3476 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3477 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3482 @kindex G P (Summary)
3483 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3484 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3487 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3488 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3489 Go to the next article with the same subject
3490 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3493 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3494 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3495 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3496 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3500 @kindex G f (Summary)
3502 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3503 Go to the first unread article
3504 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3508 @kindex G b (Summary)
3510 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3511 Go to the article with the highest score
3512 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3517 @kindex G l (Summary)
3518 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3519 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3522 @kindex G p (Summary)
3523 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3524 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3525 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3526 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3527 history as you like.
3531 @node Choosing Variables
3532 @subsection Choosing Variables
3534 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3537 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3538 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3539 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3540 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3541 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3542 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3544 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3545 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3546 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3547 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3549 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3550 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3551 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3552 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3553 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3554 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3555 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3556 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3557 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3558 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3559 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3560 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3561 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3562 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3567 @node Paging the Article
3568 @section Scrolling the Article
3569 @cindex article scrolling
3574 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3575 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3576 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3577 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3578 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3581 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3582 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3583 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3586 @kindex RET (Summary)
3587 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3588 Scroll the current article one line forward
3589 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3593 @kindex A g (Summary)
3595 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3596 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3597 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3598 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3599 the way it came from the server.
3604 @kindex A < (Summary)
3605 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3606 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3607 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3612 @kindex A > (Summary)
3613 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3614 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3618 @kindex A s (Summary)
3620 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3621 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3622 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3627 @node Reply Followup and Post
3628 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3631 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3632 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3636 @node Summary Mail Commands
3637 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3639 @cindex composing mail
3641 Commands for composing a mail message:
3647 @kindex S r (Summary)
3649 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3650 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3651 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3652 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3653 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3658 @kindex S R (Summary)
3659 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3660 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3661 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3662 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3663 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3666 @kindex S w (Summary)
3667 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3668 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3669 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
3670 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
3671 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
3674 @kindex S W (Summary)
3675 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3676 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3677 message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3678 the process/prefix convention.
3681 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3682 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3683 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
3684 Forward the current article to some other person
3685 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3686 headers of the forwarded article.
3691 @kindex S m (Summary)
3692 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3693 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
3694 Send a mail to some other person
3695 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3698 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3699 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3700 @cindex bouncing mail
3701 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3702 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3703 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3704 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3705 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3706 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3707 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3708 very well fail, though.
3711 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3712 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3713 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3714 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3715 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3716 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3717 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3718 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3719 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3720 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3722 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3723 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3724 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3725 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3726 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3728 This command understands the process/prefix convention
3729 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3732 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3733 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3734 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3735 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3736 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3739 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3740 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3741 @cindex crossposting
3742 @cindex excessive crossposting
3743 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3744 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3746 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3747 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3748 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3749 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3750 command understands the process/prefix convention
3751 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3756 @node Summary Post Commands
3757 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3759 @cindex composing news
3761 Commands for posting a news article:
3767 @kindex S p (Summary)
3768 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3769 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
3770 Post an article to the current group
3771 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3776 @kindex S f (Summary)
3777 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3778 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
3779 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3783 @kindex S F (Summary)
3785 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
3786 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3787 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3788 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3789 process/prefix convention.
3792 @kindex S n (Summary)
3793 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3794 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3795 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3798 @kindex S n (Summary)
3799 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3800 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3801 message through mail and include the original message
3802 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3803 the process/prefix convention.
3806 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3807 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3808 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3809 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3810 headers of the forwarded article.
3813 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3814 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3816 @cindex making digests
3817 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3818 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3819 process/prefix convention.
3822 @kindex S u (Summary)
3823 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3824 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
3825 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3826 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3830 @node Canceling and Superseding
3831 @section Canceling Articles
3832 @cindex canceling articles
3833 @cindex superseding articles
3835 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3836 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3838 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3840 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3842 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
3843 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3844 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3845 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3846 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3848 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3849 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3852 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3853 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3854 your original article.
3856 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3858 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3859 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3860 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3863 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3864 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3865 have posted almost the same article twice.
3867 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3868 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3869 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3870 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3871 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3872 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3873 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3874 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3875 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3876 canceled/superseded.
3878 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3881 @node Marking Articles
3882 @section Marking Articles
3883 @cindex article marking
3884 @cindex article ticking
3887 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3889 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3890 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3891 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3893 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3896 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3897 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3898 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3902 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3906 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3907 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3911 @node Unread Articles
3912 @subsection Unread Articles
3914 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
3919 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3920 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
3922 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3923 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3924 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3925 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3926 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
3930 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3931 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
3933 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
3934 are followups to it.
3937 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3938 Markes as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
3940 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
3945 @subsection Read Articles
3946 @cindex expirable mark
3948 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3953 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3954 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
3955 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
3958 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3959 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3962 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3963 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
3964 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3967 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3968 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3971 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3972 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3975 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3976 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3979 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3980 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3983 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3984 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3987 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3988 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
3991 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3992 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
3996 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
3997 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
3998 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4002 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4003 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4005 One more special mark, though:
4009 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4010 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4012 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4013 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4014 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4015 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4021 @subsection Other Marks
4022 @cindex process mark
4025 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4031 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4032 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4033 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4034 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4035 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
4038 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4039 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4040 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4041 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4044 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4045 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an
4046 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
4049 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4050 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4051 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4052 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4055 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4056 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4057 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4058 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4059 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4062 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4063 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4064 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4065 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4066 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4067 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4071 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4072 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4073 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4075 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4076 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4077 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4081 @subsection Setting Marks
4082 @cindex setting marks
4084 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4090 @kindex M t (Summary)
4091 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4092 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4097 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4098 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4099 Mark the current article as dormant
4100 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
4104 @kindex M d (Summary)
4106 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4107 Mark the current article as read
4108 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4112 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4113 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4114 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4119 @kindex M k (Summary)
4120 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4121 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4122 and then select the next unread article
4123 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4127 @kindex M K (Summary)
4128 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4129 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4130 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4131 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4134 @kindex M C (Summary)
4135 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4136 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4137 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4140 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4141 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4142 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4143 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4146 @kindex M H (Summary)
4147 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4148 Catchup the current group to point
4149 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4152 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4153 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4154 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4155 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4158 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4159 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4160 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4161 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4165 @kindex M c (Summary)
4166 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4167 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4168 @cindex mark as unread
4169 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4170 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
4174 @kindex M e (Summary)
4176 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4177 Mark the current article as expirable
4178 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4181 @kindex M b (Summary)
4182 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4183 Set a bookmark in the current article
4184 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4187 @kindex M B (Summary)
4188 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4189 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4190 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4193 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4194 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4195 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4196 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4199 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4200 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4201 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4202 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4205 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4206 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4207 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4208 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4209 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4212 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4213 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4214 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4215 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4216 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4217 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4218 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4219 The default is @code{t}.
4222 @node Setting Process Marks
4223 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4224 @cindex setting process marks
4231 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4232 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4233 Mark the current article with the process mark
4234 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4235 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4239 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4240 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4241 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4242 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4245 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4246 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4247 Remove the process mark from all articles
4248 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4251 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4252 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4253 Invert the list of process marked articles
4254 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4257 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4258 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4259 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4262 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4263 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4264 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4267 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4268 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4269 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4270 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4273 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4274 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4275 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4276 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4279 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4280 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4281 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4282 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4285 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4286 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4287 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4290 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4291 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4292 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4293 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4296 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4297 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4298 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4301 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4302 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4303 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4304 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4307 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4308 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4309 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4310 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4313 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4314 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4315 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4316 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4319 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4320 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4321 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4322 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4331 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4332 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4333 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4340 @kindex / / (Summary)
4341 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4342 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4343 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4346 @kindex / a (Summary)
4347 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4348 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4349 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4353 @kindex / u (Summary)
4355 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4356 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4357 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4358 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4359 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4362 @kindex / m (Summary)
4363 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4364 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
4365 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4368 @kindex / t (Summary)
4369 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4370 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4371 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4372 articles younger than that number of days.
4375 @kindex / n (Summary)
4376 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4377 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4378 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4379 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4382 @kindex / w (Summary)
4383 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4384 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4385 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4389 @kindex / v (Summary)
4390 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4391 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4392 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4396 @kindex M S (Summary)
4397 @kindex / E (Summary)
4398 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4399 Display all expunged articles
4400 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4403 @kindex / D (Summary)
4404 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4405 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4408 @kindex / d (Summary)
4409 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4410 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4413 @kindex / c (Summary)
4414 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4415 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
4416 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4419 @kindex / C (Summary)
4420 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4421 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4422 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4423 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4431 @cindex article threading
4433 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4434 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4435 hierarchical fashion.
4438 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4439 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4443 @node Customizing Threading
4444 @subsection Customizing Threading
4445 @cindex customizing threading
4451 @item gnus-show-threads
4452 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4453 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4454 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4455 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4456 slower and more awkward.
4458 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4459 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4460 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4461 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
4462 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4463 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4464 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4465 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4466 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4467 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4468 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4469 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4471 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4472 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4473 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4474 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4475 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4476 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
4477 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4478 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4479 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4480 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4481 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4482 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4483 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4484 @code{nil} by default.
4486 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4487 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4488 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4489 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4490 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4491 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4492 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4493 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4494 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4495 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4496 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4498 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4499 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4500 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4503 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4504 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4505 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4506 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4507 simplification is used.
4509 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4510 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4511 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4512 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4514 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4516 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4522 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4523 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4524 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4525 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4530 (mapconcat 'identity
4531 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4533 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4536 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4539 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4540 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4541 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4542 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4543 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4544 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4545 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
4546 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4548 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4549 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4550 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4551 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4552 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4553 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4554 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
4555 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
4556 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4560 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4561 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4562 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4563 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4565 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4566 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4567 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4570 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4574 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4575 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4578 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4579 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4580 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4581 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4582 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4583 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4585 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4586 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4587 There are four possible values:
4591 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4592 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4593 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4594 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4595 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4600 @cindex adopting articles
4605 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4606 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4607 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4608 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4611 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4612 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4613 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4614 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4615 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4616 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4617 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4620 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4621 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4622 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4626 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4627 display them after one another.
4630 Don't gather loose threads.
4633 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4634 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4635 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4638 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4639 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4640 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4641 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4642 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4643 threads are expunged.
4645 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4646 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4647 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4650 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4651 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4652 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4653 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4654 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4657 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4658 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4659 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4662 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4663 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4664 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4665 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4666 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4667 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4672 @node Thread Commands
4673 @subsection Thread Commands
4674 @cindex thread commands
4680 @kindex T k (Summary)
4681 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4682 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4683 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4684 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4685 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4690 @kindex T l (Summary)
4691 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4692 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4693 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4694 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4697 @kindex T i (Summary)
4698 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4699 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4700 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4703 @kindex T # (Summary)
4704 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4705 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4706 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4709 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4710 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4711 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4712 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4715 @kindex T T (Summary)
4716 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4717 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4720 @kindex T s (Summary)
4721 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4722 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4723 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4726 @kindex T h (Summary)
4727 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4728 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4731 @kindex T S (Summary)
4732 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4733 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4736 @kindex T H (Summary)
4737 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4738 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4741 @kindex T t (Summary)
4742 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4743 Re-thread the current article's thread
4744 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4745 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4748 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4749 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4750 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4751 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
4755 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4756 understand the numeric prefix.
4761 @kindex T n (Summary)
4762 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4763 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4766 @kindex T p (Summary)
4767 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4768 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4771 @kindex T d (Summary)
4772 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4773 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4776 @kindex T u (Summary)
4777 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4778 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4781 @kindex T o (Summary)
4782 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4783 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4786 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4787 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4788 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4789 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4790 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4791 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4792 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
4793 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4794 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4795 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4796 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4797 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
4804 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4805 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4806 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4807 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4808 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4809 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4810 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4811 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4812 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4813 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4814 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4815 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4816 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4817 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4819 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
4820 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4821 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4822 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4823 in the list. You should probably always include
4824 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4825 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4826 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4827 ascending article order.
4829 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4830 number, you could do something like:
4833 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4834 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4835 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4836 gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score))
4839 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4840 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4841 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4842 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4843 which the articles arrived.
4845 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4849 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4851 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t2 t1)))
4852 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4855 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4856 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4857 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4858 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4861 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4862 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4863 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4864 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4865 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4866 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4867 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4868 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4869 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4870 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4871 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4872 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4873 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4875 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4879 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4880 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4881 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4886 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4887 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4888 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4889 @cindex article pre-fetch
4892 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4893 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4894 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4895 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4896 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4898 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4899 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4901 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4902 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4903 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4904 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4905 connection is blocked.
4907 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4908 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4909 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4910 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4912 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4913 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4914 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4915 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4918 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4921 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4922 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4923 happen automatically.
4925 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
4926 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
4927 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
4928 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
4929 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
4930 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
4931 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
4933 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
4934 @findex gnus-async-read-p
4935 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
4936 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
4937 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
4938 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
4939 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
4940 data structure as the only parameter.
4942 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
4945 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
4946 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
4947 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
4948 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
4951 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
4954 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
4955 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
4956 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
4958 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
4959 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
4960 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
4961 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
4965 Remove articles when they are read.
4968 Remove articles when exiting the group.
4971 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
4973 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
4974 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
4975 from the next group.
4978 @node Article Caching
4979 @section Article Caching
4980 @cindex article caching
4983 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4984 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4985 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4986 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4987 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4989 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4991 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4992 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4993 @vindex gnus-use-cache
4994 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
4995 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
4996 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
4997 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
4998 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5000 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5001 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5002 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5003 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5004 as dormant, and don't worry.
5006 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5008 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5009 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5010 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5011 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5012 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5013 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5014 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5015 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5016 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5017 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5019 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5020 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5021 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5022 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
5023 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
5024 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
5025 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
5027 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5028 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
5029 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5030 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5031 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
5032 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
5033 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
5036 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5037 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5038 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5039 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5040 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5041 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
5042 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5043 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5044 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5048 @node Persistent Articles
5049 @section Persistent Articles
5050 @cindex persistent articles
5052 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5053 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5054 useful in my opinion.
5056 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5057 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5058 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5059 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5060 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5061 the expiry going on at the news server.
5063 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5064 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5065 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5071 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5072 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5075 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5076 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5077 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5078 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5082 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5084 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5085 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5086 interested in persistent articles:
5089 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5093 @node Article Backlog
5094 @section Article Backlog
5096 @cindex article backlog
5098 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5099 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5100 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
5101 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5102 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5103 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5104 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
5105 increase memory usage some.
5107 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5108 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
5109 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5110 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
5111 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5112 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5113 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5115 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5118 @node Saving Articles
5119 @section Saving Articles
5120 @cindex saving articles
5122 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5123 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5124 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5125 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5126 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5128 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5129 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5130 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5132 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5133 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5134 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5135 deleted before saving.
5141 @kindex O o (Summary)
5143 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5144 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5145 Save the current article using the default article saver
5146 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5149 @kindex O m (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5151 Save the current article in mail format
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5155 @kindex O r (Summary)
5156 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5157 Save the current article in rmail format
5158 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5161 @kindex O f (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5163 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5164 Save the current article in plain file format
5165 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5168 @kindex O F (Summary)
5169 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5170 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5171 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5174 @kindex O b (Summary)
5175 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5176 Save the current article body in plain file format
5177 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5180 @kindex O h (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5182 Save the current article in mh folder format
5183 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5186 @kindex O v (Summary)
5187 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5188 Save the current article in a VM folder
5189 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5192 @kindex O p (Summary)
5193 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5194 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5195 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5198 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5199 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5200 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5201 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5202 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5203 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5204 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5205 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5206 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5207 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5208 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5209 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5213 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5214 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5215 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5216 functions below, or you can create your own.
5220 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5221 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5222 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5223 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5224 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5225 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5226 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5228 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5229 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5230 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5231 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5232 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5233 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5235 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5236 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5237 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5238 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5239 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5240 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5241 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5243 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5244 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5245 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5246 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5247 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5249 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5250 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5251 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5252 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5253 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5256 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5257 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5258 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5259 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5260 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5262 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5263 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5264 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5265 reader to use this setting.
5268 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5269 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5270 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5271 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5274 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5275 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5276 available functions that generate names:
5280 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5281 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5282 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5284 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5285 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5286 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5288 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5289 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5290 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5292 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5293 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5294 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5297 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5298 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5299 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5300 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5301 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5305 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5306 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5307 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5308 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5311 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5312 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5313 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5314 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5315 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5316 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5317 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5318 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5319 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5321 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5322 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5323 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5324 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5326 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5327 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5328 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5331 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5332 lots of mail groups called things like
5333 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5334 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5335 following will do just that:
5338 (defun my-save-name (group)
5339 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5340 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5342 (setq gnus-split-methods
5343 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5348 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5349 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5350 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5351 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5352 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5353 all the files in the toplevel directory
5354 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5355 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5356 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5357 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5359 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5360 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5361 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5362 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5363 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5366 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5370 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5371 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5374 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5375 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5376 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5377 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5380 @node Decoding Articles
5381 @section Decoding Articles
5382 @cindex decoding articles
5384 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5385 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5388 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5389 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
5390 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5391 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5392 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5395 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5396 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5397 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5398 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5399 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5401 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5402 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5403 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5405 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5406 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5407 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5409 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5410 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5411 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5414 @node Uuencoded Articles
5415 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5417 @cindex uuencoded articles
5422 @kindex X u (Summary)
5423 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5424 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
5425 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5428 @kindex X U (Summary)
5429 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5430 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5431 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5434 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5435 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5436 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5439 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5440 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5441 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5442 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5445 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5446 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5447 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5448 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5449 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5451 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5452 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5453 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5454 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5457 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5458 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5459 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5460 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5461 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5462 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5466 @node Shared Articles
5467 @subsection Shared Articles
5469 @cindex shared articles
5474 @kindex X s (Summary)
5475 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5476 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5479 @kindex X S (Summary)
5480 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5481 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5484 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5485 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5486 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5489 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5490 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5491 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5492 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5496 @node PostScript Files
5497 @subsection PostScript Files
5503 @kindex X p (Summary)
5504 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5505 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5508 @kindex X P (Summary)
5509 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5510 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5511 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5514 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5515 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5516 View the current PostScript series
5517 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5520 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5521 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5522 View and save the current PostScript series
5523 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5527 @node Decoding Variables
5528 @subsection Decoding Variables
5530 Adjective, not verb.
5533 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5534 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5535 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5539 @node Rule Variables
5540 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5541 @cindex rule variables
5543 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5544 variables are of the form
5547 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5554 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5555 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5557 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5558 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5561 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5562 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5565 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5566 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5567 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5568 user and default view rules.
5570 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5571 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5572 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5577 @node Other Decode Variables
5578 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5581 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5583 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5584 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
5585 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5586 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5587 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5591 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5592 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5595 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5596 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5597 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5600 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5601 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5602 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5603 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5604 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5607 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5608 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5609 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5611 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5612 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5613 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5614 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5615 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5618 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5619 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5620 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5622 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5623 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5624 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5625 looking for files to display.
5627 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5628 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5629 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5632 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5633 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5634 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5637 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5638 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5639 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5642 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5643 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5644 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5647 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5648 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5649 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
5650 decoded articles as unread.
5652 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5653 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5654 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5655 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5657 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5658 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5660 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5661 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5662 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5663 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5665 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5666 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5667 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5668 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5669 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5670 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5671 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5672 simply dropped them.
5677 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5678 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5682 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5683 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5684 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5685 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5686 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5687 for you when you post the article.
5689 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5690 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5691 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5692 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5694 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5695 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5696 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5697 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
5698 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5699 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5700 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5702 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5703 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5704 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5705 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5706 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5707 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5708 Default is @code{t}.
5714 @subsection Viewing Files
5715 @cindex viewing files
5716 @cindex pseudo-articles
5718 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5719 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5720 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5721 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5722 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5723 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5724 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5726 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5727 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5728 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5729 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5731 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5732 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5733 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5735 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5736 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5737 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5738 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5739 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5741 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5742 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5743 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5744 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5745 a list of parameters to that command.
5747 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5748 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5749 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5751 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5752 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5753 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5756 @node Article Treatment
5757 @section Article Treatment
5759 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5760 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
5761 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5762 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5763 these articles easier.
5766 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5767 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look niced.
5768 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5769 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5770 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5771 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5772 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5776 @node Article Highlighting
5777 @subsection Article Highlighting
5780 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5781 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5786 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5787 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5788 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5791 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5792 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5793 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5794 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5795 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5796 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5797 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5798 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5799 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5800 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5801 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5804 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5805 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5806 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5808 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5811 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5813 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5814 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5815 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5817 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5818 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5819 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5821 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5822 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5823 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5825 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5826 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5827 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5828 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5829 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5832 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5833 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5834 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5836 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5837 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5838 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5840 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5841 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5842 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5843 that it's a citation.
5845 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5846 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5847 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5849 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5850 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5851 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5853 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5854 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5855 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5856 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5862 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5863 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5864 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5865 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5866 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5867 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5868 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5869 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5875 @node Article Fontisizing
5876 @subsection Article Fontisizing
5878 @cindex article emphasis
5880 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
5881 @kindex W e (Summary)
5882 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
5883 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
5884 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
5885 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
5887 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
5888 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
5889 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
5890 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
5891 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
5892 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
5893 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
5894 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
5898 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
5899 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
5900 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
5903 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
5904 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
5905 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
5906 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
5907 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
5908 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
5909 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
5910 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
5911 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
5912 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
5913 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
5914 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
5915 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
5917 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
5918 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
5919 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
5923 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
5927 @node Article Hiding
5928 @subsection Article Hiding
5929 @cindex article hiding
5931 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5932 too much cruft in most articles.
5937 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5938 @findex gnus-article-hide
5939 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5942 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5943 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5944 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5948 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5949 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5950 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5951 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5954 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5956 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5960 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5961 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5962 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
5963 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
5964 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
5965 signature has been hidden.
5968 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5970 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
5971 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
5974 @kindex W W c (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
5976 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
5977 customizing the hiding:
5981 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5982 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5983 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
5984 50), hide the cited text.
5986 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5987 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5988 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
5991 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5992 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5993 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
5994 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
5995 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6000 Start point of the hidden text.
6002 End point of the hidden text.
6004 Length of the hidden text.
6007 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6008 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6009 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6014 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6015 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6016 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6017 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6018 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6019 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6023 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6024 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6025 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6027 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6028 citation customization.
6031 @node Article Washing
6032 @subsection Article Washing
6034 @cindex article washing
6036 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6037 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6039 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6040 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6046 @kindex W l (Summary)
6047 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6048 Remove page breaks from the current article
6049 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
6052 @kindex W r (Summary)
6053 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6054 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6055 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6056 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6059 @kindex W t (Summary)
6060 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6061 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6062 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6065 @kindex W v (Summary)
6066 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6067 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6068 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6071 @kindex W m (Summary)
6072 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
6073 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
6074 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
6077 @kindex W o (Summary)
6078 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6079 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6082 @kindex W w (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6084 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
6085 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
6086 late and certainly after any highlighting.
6088 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6092 @kindex W c (Summary)
6093 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6094 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6097 @kindex W q (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
6099 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
6102 @kindex W f (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6105 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6106 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6107 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6110 \gnusxface{tmp/xface-karlheg.ps}
6111 \gnusxface{tmp/xface-kyle.ps}
6112 \gnusxface{tmp/xface-smb.ps}
6115 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6116 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6117 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6118 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6119 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6120 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6121 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6122 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6123 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6124 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6125 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6126 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6127 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6128 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6132 @kindex W b (Summary)
6133 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6134 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6137 @kindex W B (Summary)
6138 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6139 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6140 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6143 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6144 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6145 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6146 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6149 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6150 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6151 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6152 lines with a single empty line.
6153 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6156 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6158 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6159 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6162 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6163 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6164 Do all the three commands above
6165 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6168 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6169 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6170 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6171 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6176 @node Article Buttons
6177 @subsection Article Buttons
6180 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6181 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6182 with the minimum of fuzz.
6184 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6185 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6186 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6191 @item gnus-button-alist
6192 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6193 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6196 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6202 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6203 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6204 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6207 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6208 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6209 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6212 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6213 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6214 avoid false matches.
6217 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6220 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6221 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6225 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6228 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6231 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6232 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6233 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6234 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6235 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6238 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6241 @var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
6243 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6244 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6245 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6246 default values of the variables above.
6248 @item gnus-article-button-face
6249 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6250 Face used on buttons.
6252 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6253 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6254 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6260 @subsection Article Date
6262 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6263 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6264 when the article was sent.
6269 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6270 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6271 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6272 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6275 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6276 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6277 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6280 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6281 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6282 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6283 @findex format-time-string
6284 Display the date using a user-defined format
6285 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6286 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6287 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6288 for a list of possible format specs.
6291 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6292 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6293 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
6294 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
6297 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6298 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6299 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6300 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
6301 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6302 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6303 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6308 @node Article Signature
6309 @subsection Article Signature
6311 @cindex article signature
6313 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6314 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6315 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6316 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6317 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6318 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6319 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6320 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6321 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6324 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6325 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6326 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6327 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6328 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6329 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6330 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6331 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6334 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6337 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6338 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6343 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6346 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6349 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6350 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6352 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6353 in question is not a signature.
6356 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6360 @node Article Commands
6361 @section Article Commands
6368 @kindex A P (Summary)
6369 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
6370 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6371 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6372 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
6373 run just before printing the buffer.
6378 @node Summary Sorting
6379 @section Summary Sorting
6380 @cindex summary sorting
6382 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6383 can't really see why you'd want that.
6388 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6389 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6390 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6393 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6394 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6395 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6398 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6399 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6400 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6403 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6404 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6405 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6408 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6409 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6410 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6413 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6414 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6415 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6418 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6419 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6420 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6421 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6422 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6426 @node Finding the Parent
6427 @section Finding the Parent
6428 @cindex parent articles
6429 @cindex referring articles
6431 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6433 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6434 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6435 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6436 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6437 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6438 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6439 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6440 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6442 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6443 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6444 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6445 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6446 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6449 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6450 @kindex A R (Summary)
6451 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
6452 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
6453 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6455 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6456 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6458 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6459 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6460 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6461 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6462 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6463 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6464 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6466 The current select method will be used when fetching by
6467 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
6468 by giving this command a prefix.
6470 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6471 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6472 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6473 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6474 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
6475 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
6478 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6479 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6480 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6481 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6482 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6483 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6486 @node Alternative Approaches
6487 @section Alternative Approaches
6489 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6490 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6493 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6494 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6499 @subsection Pick and Read
6500 @cindex pick and read
6502 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
6503 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
6504 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
6505 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
6507 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6508 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6509 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6510 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6511 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6512 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
6514 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6519 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6520 Pick the article on the current line
6521 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6522 go to that article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
6523 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6526 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6527 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6528 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6529 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6533 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6534 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6538 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6539 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6543 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6544 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6548 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6549 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6553 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6554 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6558 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6559 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6563 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6564 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6568 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6569 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6573 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6574 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6578 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6579 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6583 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6584 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6585 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6586 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6587 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6588 will still be visible when you are reading.
6592 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6595 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6598 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6599 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6601 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6602 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6603 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6605 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6606 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
6607 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6608 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6609 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6610 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6611 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6615 @subsection Binary Groups
6616 @cindex binary groups
6618 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6619 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6620 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6621 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6622 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6623 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6624 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6627 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6628 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
6629 command, when you have turned on this mode
6630 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6632 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6633 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6637 @section Tree Display
6640 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6641 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6642 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6643 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6646 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6649 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6650 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6651 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6653 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6654 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6655 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
6656 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
6659 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
6660 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
6661 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
6662 default is @code{modeline}.
6664 @item gnus-tree-line-format
6665 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
6666 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
6667 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
6668 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
6669 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
6670 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
6676 The name of the poster.
6678 The @code{From} header.
6680 The number of the article.
6682 The opening bracket.
6684 The closing bracket.
6689 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6691 Variables related to the display are:
6694 @item gnus-tree-brackets
6695 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
6696 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
6697 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
6698 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
6699 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
6701 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6702 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6703 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
6704 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
6708 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
6709 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
6710 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
6711 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
6712 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
6713 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
6714 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
6715 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
6716 other windows displayed next to it.
6718 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
6719 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
6720 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6721 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
6722 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
6723 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
6724 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
6728 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
6731 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
6741 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
6745 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
6746 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
6748 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
6750 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
6755 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
6756 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
6757 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
6760 (setq gnus-use-trees t
6761 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6762 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
6763 (gnus-add-configuration
6767 (summary 0.75 point)
6772 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
6775 @node Mail Group Commands
6776 @section Mail Group Commands
6777 @cindex mail group commands
6779 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
6780 illegal in the current group, they will raise hell and let you know.
6782 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
6783 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6788 @kindex B e (Summary)
6789 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
6790 Expire all expirable articles in the group
6791 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
6794 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
6795 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
6796 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
6797 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
6798 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
6799 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
6802 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
6803 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
6804 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
6805 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
6806 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
6807 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
6810 @kindex B m (Summary)
6812 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
6813 Move the article from one mail group to another
6814 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6817 @kindex B c (Summary)
6819 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
6820 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
6821 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
6822 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6825 @kindex B C (Summary)
6826 @cindex crosspost mail
6827 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6828 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6829 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6830 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6831 be properly updated.
6834 @kindex B i (Summary)
6835 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6836 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6837 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6838 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6841 @kindex B r (Summary)
6842 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6843 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6844 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
6845 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
6846 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
6850 @kindex B w (Summary)
6852 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6853 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6854 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6855 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6856 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6859 @kindex B q (Summary)
6860 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6861 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6862 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6863 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6866 @kindex B p (Summary)
6867 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
6868 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
6869 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
6870 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
6871 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
6872 article from your news server (or rather, from
6873 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
6874 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
6875 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
6876 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
6877 just not have arrived yet.
6881 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6882 @cindex moving articles
6883 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6884 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6885 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6886 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6887 suggestions you find reasonable.
6890 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
6891 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
6892 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
6893 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
6897 @node Various Summary Stuff
6898 @section Various Summary Stuff
6901 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6902 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6903 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
6904 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6908 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6909 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6910 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6912 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6913 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6914 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6915 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6916 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6917 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6920 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6921 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6922 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6923 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6924 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6926 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
6927 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
6928 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
6929 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
6930 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
6931 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
6932 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
6933 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
6934 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
6935 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
6940 @node Summary Group Information
6941 @subsection Summary Group Information
6946 @kindex H f (Summary)
6947 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6948 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6949 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6950 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6951 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6952 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6953 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6954 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
6955 be used for fetching the file.
6958 @kindex H d (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6960 Give a brief description of the current group
6961 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6962 rereading the description from the server.
6965 @kindex H h (Summary)
6966 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6967 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
6968 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6971 @kindex H i (Summary)
6972 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6973 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
6977 @node Searching for Articles
6978 @subsection Searching for Articles
6983 @kindex M-s (Summary)
6984 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
6985 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
6986 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
6989 @kindex M-r (Summary)
6990 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
6991 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
6992 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
6996 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
6997 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
6998 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
6999 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7003 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7004 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7005 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7006 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7009 @node Summary Generation Commands
7010 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7015 @kindex Y g (Summary)
7016 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
7017 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
7020 @kindex Y c (Summary)
7021 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
7022 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
7023 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
7028 @node Really Various Summary Commands
7029 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
7034 @kindex C-d (Summary)
7035 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
7036 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
7037 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
7038 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
7039 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
7040 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
7041 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
7042 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
7046 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
7047 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
7048 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
7049 several documents into one biiig group
7050 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
7051 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
7052 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
7053 command understands the process/prefix convention
7054 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7057 @kindex C-t (Summary)
7058 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
7059 Toggle truncation of summary lines
7060 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
7061 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
7062 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
7066 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
7067 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
7068 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
7073 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
7074 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
7075 @cindex summary exit
7076 @cindex exiting groups
7078 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
7079 group and return you to the group buffer.
7085 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
7087 @findex gnus-summary-exit
7088 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
7089 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
7090 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
7091 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
7092 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
7093 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
7094 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
7095 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
7096 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
7097 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
7101 @kindex Z E (Summary)
7103 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
7104 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
7105 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
7109 @kindex Z c (Summary)
7111 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
7112 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
7113 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
7114 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
7117 @kindex Z C (Summary)
7118 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
7119 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
7120 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
7123 @kindex Z n (Summary)
7124 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
7125 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
7126 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
7129 @kindex Z R (Summary)
7130 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
7131 Exit this group, and then enter it again
7132 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
7133 all articles, both read and unread.
7137 @kindex Z G (Summary)
7138 @kindex M-g (Summary)
7139 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
7140 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
7141 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
7142 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
7143 articles, both read and unread.
7146 @kindex Z N (Summary)
7147 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
7148 Exit the group and go to the next group
7149 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
7152 @kindex Z P (Summary)
7153 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
7154 Exit the group and go to the previous group
7155 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
7158 @kindex Z s (Summary)
7159 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
7160 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
7161 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
7162 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
7163 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
7166 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
7167 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
7170 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
7171 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
7172 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
7173 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
7174 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
7175 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
7176 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
7177 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
7178 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
7179 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
7180 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
7181 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
7183 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
7185 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
7186 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
7187 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
7188 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
7189 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
7190 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
7191 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
7192 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
7193 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
7196 @node Crosspost Handling
7197 @section Crosspost Handling
7201 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7202 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7203 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7204 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7205 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7206 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7209 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7210 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7211 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7212 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7213 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7215 @cindex cross-posting
7218 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7219 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7220 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7221 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7222 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7223 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7224 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7225 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7226 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7227 the cross reference mechanism.
7229 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7230 @cindex overview.fmt
7231 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7232 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7233 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7234 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7235 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7236 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7239 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7240 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7241 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7246 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7249 @node Duplicate Suppression
7250 @section Duplicate Suppression
7252 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7253 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7254 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7255 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
7260 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7261 is evil and not very common.
7264 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7265 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7268 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7269 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7272 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7275 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
7276 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7278 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7279 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7280 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7281 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7282 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7283 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7284 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7287 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7288 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7289 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7290 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7291 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7295 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7296 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7297 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7299 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7300 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7301 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7302 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7303 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
7304 session are suppressed.
7306 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7307 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7308 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7309 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7311 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7312 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7313 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
7314 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7317 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7318 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7319 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7320 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7321 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7322 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7323 to you to figure out, I think.
7326 @node The Article Buffer
7327 @chapter The Article Buffer
7328 @cindex article buffer
7330 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7331 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7332 tell Gnus otherwise.
7335 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7336 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7337 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7338 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7339 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7343 @node Hiding Headers
7344 @section Hiding Headers
7345 @cindex hiding headers
7346 @cindex deleting headers
7348 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7349 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7351 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7352 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7353 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7354 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7355 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7356 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7357 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7358 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7359 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7361 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7365 @item gnus-visible-headers
7366 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7367 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7368 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7369 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7371 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7372 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7375 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7378 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7381 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7382 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7383 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7384 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7385 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7386 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7388 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7389 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7392 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7395 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
7398 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7399 variable will have no effect.
7403 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7404 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7405 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7406 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7407 the headers are to be displayed.
7409 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7410 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7413 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7416 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7417 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
7419 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7420 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7421 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7422 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7423 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7424 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7425 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7426 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7427 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7429 These conditions are:
7432 Remove all empty headers.
7434 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7437 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7438 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7440 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7443 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7447 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7450 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7451 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7454 This is also the default value for this variable.
7458 @section Using @sc{mime}
7461 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7462 while people stand around yawning.
7464 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7465 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7467 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7468 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7469 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7471 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7472 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7473 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7474 @findex metamail-buffer
7475 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7476 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7477 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7478 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7479 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7480 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7481 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7482 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7484 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7485 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7486 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7487 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7488 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7489 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7490 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7491 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7492 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7494 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7497 @node Customizing Articles
7498 @section Customizing Articles
7499 @cindex article customization
7501 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7502 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7503 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7504 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7506 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7507 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7508 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7509 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7510 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7511 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7512 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7513 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7514 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7516 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7517 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7518 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7519 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7520 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7523 @node Article Keymap
7524 @section Article Keymap
7526 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7527 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7528 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7529 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7532 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7537 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7538 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7539 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7542 @kindex DEL (Article)
7543 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7544 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7547 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7548 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7549 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7550 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7551 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7554 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7555 @findex gnus-article-mail
7556 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7557 given a prefix, include the mail.
7561 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7562 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7563 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7567 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7568 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7569 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7572 @kindex TAB (Article)
7573 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7574 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
7575 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7578 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7579 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7580 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
7586 @section Misc Article
7590 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7591 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7592 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7593 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7596 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7597 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7598 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7599 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7600 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7601 the contents of the article buffer.
7603 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7604 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7605 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7606 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7607 hiding headers, and the like.
7609 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7610 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7611 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7613 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7614 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7615 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7616 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7618 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7619 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7620 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7621 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
7622 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
7626 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7627 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7631 @vindex gnus-break-pages
7633 @item gnus-break-pages
7634 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
7635 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
7636 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
7637 paging will not be done.
7639 @item gnus-page-delimiter
7640 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
7641 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
7646 @node Composing Messages
7647 @chapter Composing Messages
7652 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
7653 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
7654 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
7655 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
7656 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
7657 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
7658 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
7661 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
7662 * Post:: Posting and following up.
7663 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
7664 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
7665 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
7666 @c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
7667 @c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
7668 @c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
7671 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
7672 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
7678 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
7681 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
7682 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
7683 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
7684 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
7686 @item gnus-add-to-list
7687 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
7688 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
7689 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
7697 Variables for composing news articles:
7700 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7701 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7702 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
7703 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
7704 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
7705 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
7706 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
7707 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
7708 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
7711 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7712 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7713 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
7714 file. It is 1000 by default.
7719 @node Posting Server
7720 @section Posting Server
7722 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
7723 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
7725 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
7727 @vindex gnus-post-method
7729 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
7730 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
7731 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
7732 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
7733 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
7736 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
7739 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
7740 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
7741 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
7742 the ``current'' server for posting.
7744 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
7745 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
7747 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
7748 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
7753 @section Mail and Post
7755 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
7759 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
7760 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
7761 @cindex mailing lists
7763 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
7764 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
7765 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
7766 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
7767 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
7768 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
7769 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
7770 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
7771 still a pain, though.
7775 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
7776 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
7777 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
7780 @findex ispell-message
7782 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
7786 @node Archived Messages
7787 @section Archived Messages
7788 @cindex archived messages
7789 @cindex sent messages
7791 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
7792 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
7793 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
7794 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
7797 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
7798 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
7799 use to store sent messages. The default is:
7803 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))
7806 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
7807 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
7808 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
7809 directory chosen, you could say something like:
7812 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
7813 '(nnfolder "archive"
7814 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
7815 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
7816 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
7819 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
7821 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
7822 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
7823 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
7825 This variable can be used to do the following:
7829 Messages will be saved in that group.
7830 @item a list of strings
7831 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
7832 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
7833 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
7835 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
7840 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
7842 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
7845 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
7847 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
7850 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
7852 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7853 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
7854 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
7855 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
7860 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7861 '((if (message-news-p)
7866 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
7867 messages in one file per month:
7870 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7871 '((if (message-news-p)
7873 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
7874 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
7877 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
7878 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
7880 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
7881 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
7882 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
7883 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
7884 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
7885 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
7886 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
7887 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
7888 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
7889 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
7891 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
7892 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
7893 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
7894 this will disable archiving.
7897 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
7898 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
7899 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
7900 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
7901 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
7904 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
7905 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
7906 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
7909 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
7910 but the latter is the preferred method.
7914 @c @node Posting Styles
7915 @c @section Posting Styles
7916 @c @cindex posting styles
7919 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
7921 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
7922 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
7923 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7926 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7927 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7928 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7929 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7930 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7935 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7936 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7938 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7939 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7940 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7943 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7944 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7945 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7946 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7947 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7948 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7949 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7950 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7952 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7953 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7954 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7955 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7956 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7957 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7960 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7961 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7962 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7963 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7964 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7967 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7968 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7969 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7971 @c So here's a new example:
7974 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
7976 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
7977 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
7978 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
7979 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
7981 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
7982 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
7983 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
7984 @c (posting-from-work-p
7985 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
7986 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
7987 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
7989 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
7996 @c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
7997 @c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
7998 @c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
7999 @c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
8000 @c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
8002 @c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
8003 @c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
8004 @c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
8005 @c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
8006 @c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
8010 @c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
8011 @c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
8012 @c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
8013 @c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
8014 @c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
8015 @c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
8016 @c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
8017 @c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
8019 @c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
8022 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
8023 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
8024 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
8025 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
8026 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
8027 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
8028 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
8029 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
8030 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
8031 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
8032 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
8033 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
8034 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
8035 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
8037 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
8038 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
8039 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
8041 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
8042 @c @kindex S D c (Summary)
8043 @c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
8044 @c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
8045 @c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
8047 @c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
8050 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
8051 @c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
8052 @c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
8053 @c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
8054 @c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8057 @c @node Rejected Articles
8058 @c @section Rejected Articles
8059 @c @cindex rejected articles
8061 @c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
8062 @c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
8063 @c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
8064 @c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
8066 @c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
8067 @c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
8068 @c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
8069 @c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
8070 @c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
8072 @c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
8073 @c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
8074 @c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
8077 @node Select Methods
8078 @chapter Select Methods
8079 @cindex foreign groups
8080 @cindex select methods
8082 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
8083 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
8084 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
8085 personal mail group.
8087 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
8088 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
8089 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
8090 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
8091 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
8092 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
8094 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
8095 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
8097 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
8100 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
8101 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
8102 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
8103 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
8104 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
8106 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
8109 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
8110 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
8111 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
8112 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
8113 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
8117 @node The Server Buffer
8118 @section The Server Buffer
8120 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
8121 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
8122 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
8123 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
8124 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
8125 backend represents a virtual server.
8127 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
8128 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
8129 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
8130 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
8132 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
8133 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
8134 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
8135 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
8136 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
8137 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
8138 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
8140 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
8141 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
8144 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
8145 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
8146 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
8147 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
8148 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
8149 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
8150 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
8153 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
8154 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
8157 @node Server Buffer Format
8158 @subsection Server Buffer Format
8159 @cindex server buffer format
8161 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
8162 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
8163 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
8164 variable, with some simple extensions:
8169 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
8172 The name of this server.
8175 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
8178 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
8181 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
8182 The mode line can also be customized by using the
8183 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
8194 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
8197 @node Server Commands
8198 @subsection Server Commands
8199 @cindex server commands
8205 @findex gnus-server-add-server
8206 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
8210 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
8211 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
8214 @kindex SPACE (Server)
8215 @findex gnus-server-read-server
8216 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
8220 @findex gnus-server-exit
8221 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
8225 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
8226 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
8230 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
8231 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
8235 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
8236 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
8240 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
8241 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
8245 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
8246 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
8247 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8252 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8253 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8254 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8255 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8260 @node Example Methods
8261 @subsection Example Methods
8263 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8266 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8269 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8275 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8276 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8279 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
8280 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8282 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8283 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
8287 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8290 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8291 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
8293 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8294 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8295 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8299 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8302 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8305 Here's the method for a public spool:
8309 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8310 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8313 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8314 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8315 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8316 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8317 should probably look something like this:
8321 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8322 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8323 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8324 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8325 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8330 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8331 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8333 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8334 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8336 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8337 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8338 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8340 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8342 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8343 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8344 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8345 will contain the following:
8355 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8356 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8357 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8360 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8361 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8362 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8365 @node Server Variables
8366 @subsection Server Variables
8368 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
8369 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
8370 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
8371 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
8372 won't change the "derived" variables.
8374 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
8375 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
8376 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
8377 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
8378 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
8379 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
8380 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
8381 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
8382 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
8386 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
8387 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
8388 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
8392 @node Servers and Methods
8393 @subsection Servers and Methods
8395 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8396 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8397 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8398 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8402 @node Unavailable Servers
8403 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8405 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8406 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8407 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8408 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8409 actually the case or not.
8411 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8412 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
8413 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8414 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
8415 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
8416 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
8417 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
8418 it will regard that server as ``down''.
8420 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8421 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8423 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8424 with the following commands:
8430 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8431 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8432 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8436 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8437 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8438 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8442 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8443 Mark the current server as unreachable
8444 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8447 @kindex M-o (Server)
8448 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8449 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8450 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8453 @kindex M-c (Server)
8454 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8455 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8456 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8460 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8461 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
8462 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8468 @section Getting News
8469 @cindex reading news
8470 @cindex news backends
8472 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8473 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8474 or it can read from a local spool.
8477 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8478 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8483 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8486 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8487 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8488 server as the, uhm, address.
8490 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8491 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8492 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8493 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8495 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8496 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8497 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8499 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8504 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8505 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8506 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8508 @cindex authentification
8509 @cindex nntp authentification
8510 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8511 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8512 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
8513 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
8514 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
8515 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
8516 present in this hook.
8518 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8519 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8520 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8521 server. Available functions include:
8524 @item nntp-send-authinfo
8525 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8526 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8527 prompt you for the password. This is the default.
8529 @item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8530 @findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8531 This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
8533 @item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8534 @findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8535 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8536 read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
8539 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8540 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8541 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8542 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8543 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8546 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8550 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8552 The default value is
8555 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8556 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8559 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8560 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8562 @item nntp-maximum-request
8563 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
8564 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
8565 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
8566 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
8567 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
8568 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
8569 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
8571 @item nntp-connection-timeout
8572 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
8573 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
8574 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
8575 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
8576 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
8577 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
8578 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
8579 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
8580 no timeouts are done.
8582 @item nntp-command-timeout
8583 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
8584 @cindex PPP connections
8585 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
8586 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
8587 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
8588 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
8589 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
8590 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
8591 then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
8592 number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
8593 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
8594 likely number is 30 seconds.
8596 @item nntp-retry-on-break
8597 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
8598 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
8599 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
8602 @item nntp-server-hook
8603 @vindex nntp-server-hook
8604 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
8607 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
8608 @findex nntp-open-telnet
8609 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
8610 @item nntp-open-connection-function
8611 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
8612 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Three pre-made
8613 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
8614 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
8615 two are @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an @samp{rlogin} on the
8616 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
8617 available there, and @code{nntp-open-telnet}, which does a @samp{telnet}
8618 to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet} to get to the
8621 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
8625 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
8626 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
8627 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
8629 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8630 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8631 User name on the remote system.
8635 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
8638 @item nntp-telnet-command
8639 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
8640 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
8642 @item nntp-telnet-switches
8643 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
8644 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
8646 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
8647 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
8648 User name for log in on the remote system.
8650 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
8651 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
8652 Password to use when logging in.
8654 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
8655 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
8656 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
8661 @item nntp-end-of-line
8662 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
8663 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
8664 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
8665 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
8667 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8668 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8669 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
8673 @vindex nntp-address
8674 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
8676 @item nntp-port-number
8677 @vindex nntp-port-number
8678 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
8681 @item nntp-buggy-select
8682 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
8683 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
8685 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
8686 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
8687 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
8688 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
8691 @item nntp-xover-commands
8692 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
8695 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
8696 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
8700 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
8701 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
8702 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
8703 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
8704 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
8705 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
8706 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
8707 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
8708 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
8709 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
8710 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
8712 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
8713 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
8714 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
8716 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8717 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8718 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
8719 server closes connection.
8725 @subsection News Spool
8729 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
8730 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
8731 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
8734 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
8735 anything else) as the address.
8737 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
8738 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
8739 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
8740 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
8744 @item nnspool-inews-program
8745 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
8746 Program used to post an article.
8748 @item nnspool-inews-switches
8749 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
8750 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
8752 @item nnspool-spool-directory
8753 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
8754 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
8755 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
8757 @item nnspool-nov-directory
8758 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
8759 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
8760 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
8762 @item nnspool-lib-dir
8763 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
8764 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
8766 @item nnspool-active-file
8767 @vindex nnspool-active-file
8768 The path to the active file.
8770 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
8771 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
8772 The path to the group descriptions file.
8774 @item nnspool-history-file
8775 @vindex nnspool-history-file
8776 The path to the news history file.
8778 @item nnspool-active-times-file
8779 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
8780 The path to the active date file.
8782 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
8783 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
8784 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
8787 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8788 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8790 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
8791 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
8792 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
8798 @section Getting Mail
8799 @cindex reading mail
8802 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
8806 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
8807 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
8808 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
8809 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
8810 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
8811 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
8812 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
8813 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
8814 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
8815 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
8816 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
8820 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
8821 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
8823 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
8824 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
8825 and things will happen automatically.
8827 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
8828 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
8831 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
8832 '((nnml "private")))
8835 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
8836 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
8837 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
8838 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
8839 like any other group.
8841 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
8844 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8845 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8846 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8850 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
8851 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
8852 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
8855 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
8856 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
8857 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
8860 @node Splitting Mail
8861 @subsection Splitting Mail
8862 @cindex splitting mail
8863 @cindex mail splitting
8865 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
8866 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
8867 to be split into groups.
8870 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8871 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8872 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8876 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
8877 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
8878 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
8879 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
8880 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
8882 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
8883 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
8886 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
8887 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
8888 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
8889 mail belongs in that group.
8891 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
8892 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
8893 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
8894 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
8895 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
8896 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
8898 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
8899 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
8900 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
8901 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
8902 thinks should carry this mail message.
8904 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
8905 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
8906 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
8907 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
8909 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
8910 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
8911 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
8912 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
8913 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
8915 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
8918 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
8919 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
8920 links. If that's the case for you, set
8921 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
8922 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
8924 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
8925 @kindex nnmail-split-history
8926 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
8927 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
8929 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
8930 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
8931 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
8932 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
8933 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
8934 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
8935 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
8936 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
8940 @node Mail Backend Variables
8941 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
8943 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
8947 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8948 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8949 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
8950 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
8952 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
8953 @item nnmail-spool-file
8957 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
8958 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
8959 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
8960 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
8961 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
8962 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
8963 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
8964 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
8965 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
8966 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
8967 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
8968 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
8969 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
8970 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
8971 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
8973 @code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
8975 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
8976 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
8979 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
8980 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
8981 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
8982 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
8983 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
8984 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
8986 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
8987 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8988 @item nnmail-use-procmail
8989 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
8990 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
8991 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
8992 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
8995 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
8996 @item nnmail-crash-box
8997 When a mail backend reads a spool file, mail is first moved to this
8998 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
8999 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
9002 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9003 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9004 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
9005 used for, well, anything, really.
9007 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
9008 @item nnmail-split-hook
9009 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
9010 @findex RFC1522 decoding
9011 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
9012 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
9013 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
9014 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
9015 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
9016 is one likely function to add to this hook.
9018 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9019 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9020 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9021 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
9022 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
9023 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
9024 starting to handle the new mail) and
9025 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
9026 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
9027 default file modes the new mail files get:
9030 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
9031 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
9033 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
9034 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
9037 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
9038 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
9039 This variable says where to move incoming mail to -- while processing
9040 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
9041 inhabits (e.g., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
9042 it will be used instead.
9044 @item nnmail-movemail-program
9045 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
9046 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
9047 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
9049 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
9050 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
9053 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
9054 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
9055 @cindex incoming mail files
9056 @cindex deleting incoming files
9057 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
9058 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
9061 @c This is @code{nil} by
9062 @c default for reasons of security.
9064 @c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
9065 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
9066 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
9067 of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure not
9068 to lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
9071 You may delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
9073 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
9074 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
9075 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
9076 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
9077 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
9078 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
9079 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
9081 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
9082 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
9084 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
9086 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9087 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
9088 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
9089 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
9090 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
9095 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
9096 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
9097 @cindex mail splitting
9098 @cindex fancy mail splitting
9100 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
9101 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
9102 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
9103 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
9104 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
9105 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
9107 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
9110 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
9111 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
9112 ;; from real errors.
9113 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
9115 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
9116 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
9117 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
9118 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
9119 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
9120 ;; Other mailing lists...
9121 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
9122 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
9124 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
9125 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
9129 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
9130 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
9131 the five possible split syntaxes:
9136 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
9139 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
9140 which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
9141 header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
9144 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9145 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
9146 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
9147 be stored in one or more groups.
9150 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
9151 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
9154 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
9155 this message anywhere.
9158 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
9159 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
9160 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
9165 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
9166 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
9167 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
9168 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
9169 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
9171 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
9172 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
9173 are expanded as specified by the variable
9174 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
9175 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
9178 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
9179 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
9180 when all this splitting is performed.
9182 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
9183 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
9184 substitions in the group names), you can say things like:
9187 (any "debian-\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
9190 @node Mail and Procmail
9191 @subsection Mail and Procmail
9196 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
9197 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
9198 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
9199 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
9200 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
9202 This also means that you probably don't want to set
9203 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
9206 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
9207 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
9208 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends, except
9209 @code{nnmh}, actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
9210 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
9211 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
9213 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) by hand what
9216 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example:
9218 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
9219 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
9221 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
9222 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
9223 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
9224 to include all your mail groups.
9226 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
9227 method will be created automatically.
9229 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
9230 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
9231 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
9232 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
9233 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
9234 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
9235 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
9236 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
9238 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
9239 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
9240 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
9241 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
9242 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
9244 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9245 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directly into an @code{nnmh}
9246 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
9247 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
9248 ever expiring the final article (i.e., the article with the highest
9249 article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important.
9251 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
9252 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i.e., the incoming
9253 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
9254 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
9255 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
9258 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
9259 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
9260 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
9261 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
9262 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
9266 @node Incorporating Old Mail
9267 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
9269 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
9270 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
9271 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
9274 Doing so can be quite easy.
9276 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
9277 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
9278 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
9279 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
9280 your @code{nnml} groups.
9286 Go to the group buffer.
9289 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
9290 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9293 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
9296 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
9297 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
9300 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
9301 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
9304 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
9305 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
9306 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
9307 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
9308 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
9310 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
9311 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
9312 using the new mail backend.
9316 @subsection Expiring Mail
9317 @cindex article expiry
9319 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
9320 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
9321 different approach to mail reading.
9323 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
9324 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
9325 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
9326 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
9327 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
9328 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9331 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9332 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9333 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9334 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9335 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9336 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9337 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9338 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9340 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9341 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9342 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9343 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9344 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9345 column in the summary buffer.
9347 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
9348 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
9349 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
9350 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
9353 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
9355 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
9356 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
9357 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
9360 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
9361 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
9362 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9363 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9364 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9366 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9367 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9370 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9371 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9374 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9375 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9377 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9378 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9379 don't really mix very well.
9381 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9382 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9383 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
9384 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
9387 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9388 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9389 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9390 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9393 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9395 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9397 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9399 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9401 ((string= group "important")
9407 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9408 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9410 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9411 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
9412 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
9415 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9416 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9418 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9419 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9420 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9421 easier for procmail users.
9423 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9424 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9425 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9426 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9427 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9428 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9429 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9430 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9431 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9432 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9433 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9434 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9435 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9438 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9442 @subsection Washing Mail
9443 @cindex mail washing
9444 @cindex list server brain damage
9445 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9447 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9448 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9449 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9450 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9451 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9452 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9454 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9455 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9456 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9459 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9460 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9461 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9462 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9465 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9466 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9467 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9468 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9471 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9472 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9473 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9474 Emacs running on MS machines.
9478 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9479 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9480 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9481 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9484 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9485 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9486 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
9487 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
9489 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9490 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9491 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
9492 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
9493 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
9494 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
9495 also be a list of regexp.
9497 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
9498 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
9501 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
9502 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
9505 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
9506 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
9507 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
9511 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9512 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9513 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
9517 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
9518 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
9519 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
9526 @subsection Duplicates
9528 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
9529 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
9530 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
9531 @cindex duplicate mails
9532 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
9533 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
9534 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
9535 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
9536 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
9537 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
9538 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
9539 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
9540 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
9541 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
9542 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
9543 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
9544 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
9546 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
9547 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
9548 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
9549 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
9551 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
9554 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
9555 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
9559 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
9560 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
9561 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
9562 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
9563 (any mail "mail.misc")
9570 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9571 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
9576 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
9577 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
9578 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
9579 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
9580 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
9583 @node Not Reading Mail
9584 @subsection Not Reading Mail
9586 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
9587 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
9588 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
9590 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
9591 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
9593 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9594 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9595 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9596 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9597 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9598 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
9599 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
9600 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
9601 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
9602 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
9603 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
9605 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
9606 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
9610 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
9611 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
9613 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
9614 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
9615 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
9618 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
9619 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
9620 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
9621 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
9622 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
9627 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
9629 @cindex unix mail box
9631 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9632 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9633 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
9634 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
9635 which group it belongs in.
9637 Virtual server settings:
9640 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
9641 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9642 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
9644 @item nnmbox-active-file
9645 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9646 The name of the active file for the mail box.
9648 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
9649 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9650 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
9656 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
9660 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9661 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9662 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
9663 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
9664 article to say which group it belongs in.
9666 Virtual server settings:
9669 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
9670 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9671 The name of the rmail mbox file.
9673 @item nnbabyl-active-file
9674 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9675 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
9677 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9678 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9679 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
9684 @subsubsection Mail Spool
9686 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
9688 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
9689 format. It should be used with some caution.
9691 @vindex nnml-directory
9692 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
9693 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
9694 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
9695 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
9697 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
9700 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
9701 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
9702 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
9703 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
9704 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
9705 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
9706 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
9707 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
9709 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
9710 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
9711 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
9712 backend when it comes to reading mail.
9714 Virtual server settings:
9717 @item nnml-directory
9718 @vindex nnml-directory
9719 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
9721 @item nnml-active-file
9722 @vindex nnml-active-file
9723 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
9725 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
9726 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
9727 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
9730 @item nnml-get-new-mail
9731 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9732 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
9734 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
9735 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
9736 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
9738 @item nnml-nov-file-name
9739 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
9740 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
9742 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9743 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9744 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
9748 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
9749 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
9750 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
9751 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
9752 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
9753 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
9754 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
9759 @subsubsection MH Spool
9761 @cindex mh-e mail spool
9763 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
9764 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
9765 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
9766 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
9768 Virtual server settings:
9771 @item nnmh-directory
9772 @vindex nnmh-directory
9773 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
9775 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
9776 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9777 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
9780 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
9781 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
9782 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
9783 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
9784 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
9785 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
9786 to set this variable to @code{t}.
9791 @subsubsection Mail Folders
9793 @cindex mbox folders
9794 @cindex mail folders
9796 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
9797 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
9798 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
9801 Virtual server settings:
9804 @item nnfolder-directory
9805 @vindex nnfolder-directory
9806 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
9808 @item nnfolder-active-file
9809 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
9810 The name of the active file.
9812 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9813 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9814 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
9816 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
9817 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9818 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
9821 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
9822 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
9823 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
9824 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
9825 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
9826 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
9830 @section Other Sources
9832 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
9833 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
9837 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
9838 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
9839 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
9840 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
9841 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
9842 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
9846 @node Directory Groups
9847 @subsection Directory Groups
9849 @cindex directory groups
9851 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
9852 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
9855 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
9856 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
9857 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
9858 backend to read directories. Big deal.
9860 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
9861 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
9862 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
9863 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
9864 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
9866 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
9868 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
9869 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
9870 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
9871 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
9874 @node Anything Groups
9875 @subsection Anything Groups
9878 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
9879 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
9880 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
9883 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
9884 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
9885 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
9886 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
9887 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
9888 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
9889 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
9890 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
9891 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
9892 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
9895 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
9896 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
9897 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
9898 in the article buffer, just as usual.
9900 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
9901 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
9902 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
9903 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
9905 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
9906 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
9907 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
9908 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
9909 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
9910 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
9911 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
9912 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
9917 @item nneething-map-file-directory
9918 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
9919 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
9920 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
9922 @item nneething-exclude-files
9923 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
9924 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
9925 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
9927 @item nneething-map-file
9928 @vindex nneething-map-file
9929 Name of the map files.
9933 @node Document Groups
9934 @subsection Document Groups
9936 @cindex documentation group
9939 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
9940 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
9947 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
9952 The standard Unix mbox file.
9954 @cindex MMDF mail box
9956 The MMDF mail box format.
9959 Several news articles appended into a file.
9962 @cindex rnews batch files
9963 The rnews batch transport format.
9964 @cindex forwarded messages
9973 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
9974 @cindex RFC 341 digest
9975 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
9977 @item standard-digest
9978 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
9981 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
9984 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
9985 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
9986 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
9989 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
9990 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
9991 group. And that's it.
9993 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
9994 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
9995 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
9996 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
9997 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
9998 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
9999 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
10000 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
10001 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
10002 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
10004 Virtual server variables:
10007 @item nndoc-article-type
10008 @vindex nndoc-article-type
10009 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
10010 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
10011 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-digest}, @code{standard-digest},
10012 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs} or @code{guess}.
10014 @item nndoc-post-type
10015 @vindex nndoc-post-type
10016 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
10017 a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
10022 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
10026 @node Document Server Internals
10027 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
10029 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
10030 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
10031 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
10032 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
10034 First, here's an example document type definition:
10038 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
10039 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
10042 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
10043 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
10044 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
10045 types can be defined with very few settings:
10048 @item first-article
10049 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
10050 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
10053 @item article-begin
10054 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
10055 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
10057 @item head-begin-function
10058 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
10061 @item nndoc-head-begin
10062 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
10065 @item nndoc-head-end
10066 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
10067 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
10069 @item body-begin-function
10070 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
10074 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
10077 @item body-end-function
10078 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
10082 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
10085 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
10086 regexp will be totally ignored.
10090 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
10091 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
10092 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
10093 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
10094 something that's palatable for Gnus:
10097 @item prepare-body-function
10098 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
10099 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
10100 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
10102 @item article-transform-function
10103 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
10104 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
10105 body of the article.
10107 @item generate-head-function
10108 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
10109 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
10110 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
10111 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
10115 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
10120 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10121 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
10122 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
10123 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
10124 (head-end . "^ ?$")
10125 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
10126 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
10127 (subtype digest guess))
10130 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
10131 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
10132 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
10133 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
10134 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
10136 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
10137 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
10138 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
10139 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
10140 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
10141 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
10142 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
10143 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
10144 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
10145 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
10153 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
10154 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
10155 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
10157 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
10158 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
10159 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
10162 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
10163 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
10164 that interested in doing things properly.
10166 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
10167 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
10170 First some terminology:
10175 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
10176 get news and/or mail from.
10179 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
10180 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
10183 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
10187 @item message packets
10188 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
10189 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
10190 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10192 @item response packets
10193 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
10194 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
10195 default, where @var{X} is a number.
10205 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
10206 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
10207 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
10208 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
10211 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
10214 You put the packet in your home directory.
10217 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
10218 the native or secondary server.
10221 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
10222 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
10225 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
10229 You transfer this packet to the server.
10232 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
10235 You then repeat until you die.
10239 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
10240 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
10243 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
10244 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
10245 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
10249 @node SOUP Commands
10250 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
10252 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
10256 @kindex G s b (Group)
10257 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
10258 Pack all unread articles in the current group
10259 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
10260 process/prefix convention.
10263 @kindex G s w (Group)
10264 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
10265 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
10268 @kindex G s s (Group)
10269 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
10270 Send all replies from the replies packet
10271 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
10274 @kindex G s p (Group)
10275 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
10276 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
10279 @kindex G s r (Group)
10280 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
10281 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
10284 @kindex O s (Summary)
10285 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
10286 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
10287 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
10288 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10293 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
10298 @item gnus-soup-directory
10299 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
10300 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
10301 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
10303 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
10304 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
10305 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
10306 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
10308 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
10309 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
10310 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
10311 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
10313 @item gnus-soup-packer
10314 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
10315 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10316 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
10318 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
10319 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
10320 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10321 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10323 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
10324 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
10325 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
10327 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10328 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10329 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
10330 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
10336 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
10339 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
10340 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
10341 you can read them at leisure.
10343 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10347 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10348 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10349 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10350 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10352 @item nnsoup-directory
10353 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10354 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10355 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10357 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10358 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10359 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
10360 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10362 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10363 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10364 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10365 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10366 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10368 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10369 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10370 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
10371 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10373 @item nnsoup-active-file
10374 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10375 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10376 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10377 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10378 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10380 @item nnsoup-packer
10381 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10382 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10383 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10385 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10386 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10387 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10388 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10390 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10391 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10392 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10395 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10396 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10397 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10404 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10406 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10407 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10408 more for that to happen.
10410 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10411 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10412 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10415 In specific, this is what it does:
10418 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10419 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10422 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10423 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10424 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10428 @subsection Web Searches
10432 @cindex InReference
10433 @cindex Usenet searches
10434 @cindex searching the Usenet
10436 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10437 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10438 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10439 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10440 searches without having to use a browser.
10442 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10443 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10444 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10445 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10446 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10448 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10449 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10450 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10451 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10452 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
10453 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10454 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10455 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10456 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10457 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
10460 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10461 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10462 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10463 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10464 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10465 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10467 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10468 to use @code{nnweb}.
10470 Virtual server variables:
10475 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10476 are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
10479 @vindex nnweb-search
10480 The search string to feed to the search engine.
10482 @item nnweb-max-hits
10483 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
10484 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
10487 @item nnweb-type-definition
10488 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
10489 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
10490 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
10495 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
10499 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
10502 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
10505 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
10509 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
10516 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
10517 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
10518 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
10521 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
10522 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
10523 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
10525 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
10531 @item nngateway-address
10532 @vindex nngateway-address
10533 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
10535 @item nngateway-header-transformation
10536 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
10537 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
10538 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
10539 transformation should be called, and defaults to
10540 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
10541 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
10544 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
10545 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
10546 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
10549 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
10552 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
10555 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
10560 So, to use this, simply say something like:
10563 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
10567 @node Combined Groups
10568 @section Combined Groups
10570 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
10574 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
10575 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
10579 @node Virtual Groups
10580 @subsection Virtual Groups
10582 @cindex virtual groups
10584 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
10587 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
10588 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
10589 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
10591 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
10592 regexp to match component groups.
10594 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
10595 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
10596 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
10597 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
10598 the virtual group.)
10600 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
10601 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
10604 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
10607 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
10608 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
10610 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
10611 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
10612 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
10613 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
10616 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
10619 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
10620 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
10621 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
10622 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
10623 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
10625 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
10626 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
10627 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
10629 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
10630 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
10631 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
10632 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
10633 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
10634 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
10635 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
10636 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
10637 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
10638 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
10639 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
10642 @node Kibozed Groups
10643 @subsection Kibozed Groups
10647 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
10648 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
10649 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
10650 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
10652 @kindex G k (Group)
10653 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
10656 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
10657 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
10658 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
10659 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
10661 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
10662 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
10663 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
10665 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
10666 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
10667 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
10668 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
10669 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
10670 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
10671 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
10672 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
10674 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
10675 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
10676 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
10677 Stranger things have happened.
10679 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
10680 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
10682 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
10683 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
10684 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
10685 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
10686 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
10687 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
10689 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
10690 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
10697 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
10698 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
10699 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
10702 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
10703 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
10704 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
10705 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
10706 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
10708 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
10709 before generating the summary buffer.
10711 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
10712 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
10713 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
10715 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
10716 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
10717 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
10718 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
10721 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
10722 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
10723 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
10724 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
10725 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
10726 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
10727 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
10728 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
10729 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
10730 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
10731 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
10732 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
10733 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
10734 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
10735 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
10736 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
10740 @node Summary Score Commands
10741 @section Summary Score Commands
10742 @cindex score commands
10744 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
10745 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
10746 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
10747 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
10748 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
10750 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
10751 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
10752 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
10753 score file the current one.
10755 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
10760 @kindex V s (Summary)
10761 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
10762 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
10765 @kindex V S (Summary)
10766 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
10767 Display the score of the current article
10768 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
10771 @kindex V t (Summary)
10772 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
10773 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
10774 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
10777 @kindex V R (Summary)
10778 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
10779 Run the current summary through the scoring process
10780 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
10781 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
10782 effect you're having.
10785 @kindex V a (Summary)
10786 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
10787 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
10788 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
10791 @kindex V c (Summary)
10792 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
10793 Make a different score file the current
10794 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
10797 @kindex V e (Summary)
10798 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
10799 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
10800 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
10804 @kindex V f (Summary)
10805 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
10806 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
10807 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
10810 @kindex V F (Summary)
10811 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10812 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
10813 after editing score files.
10816 @kindex V C (Summary)
10817 @findex gnus-score-customize
10818 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
10819 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
10823 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
10828 @kindex V m (Summary)
10829 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
10830 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
10831 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
10834 @kindex V x (Summary)
10835 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
10836 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
10837 expunge all articles below this score
10838 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
10841 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
10842 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
10847 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
10848 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
10850 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
10851 keys are available:
10855 Score on the author name.
10858 Score on the subject line.
10861 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
10864 Score on thread---the References line.
10870 Score on the number of lines.
10873 Score on the Message-ID.
10876 Score on followups.
10886 The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
10887 what headers you are scoring on.
10899 Substring matching.
10902 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
10931 Greater than number.
10936 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
10937 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
10938 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
10942 Temporary score entry.
10945 Permanent score entry.
10948 Immediately scoring.
10953 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
10954 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
10955 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
10956 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
10958 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
10959 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
10960 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
10961 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
10962 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
10964 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
10965 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
10966 pretend they are keymaps or not.
10969 @node Group Score Commands
10970 @section Group Score Commands
10971 @cindex group score commands
10973 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
10978 @kindex W f (Group)
10979 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10980 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
10981 all the time. This command will flush the cache
10982 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
10987 @node Score Variables
10988 @section Score Variables
10989 @cindex score variables
10993 @item gnus-use-scoring
10994 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
10995 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
10996 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
10998 @item gnus-kill-killed
10999 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
11000 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
11001 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
11002 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
11003 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
11004 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
11005 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
11007 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
11008 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
11009 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
11010 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
11011 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
11013 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
11014 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
11015 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
11016 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
11018 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
11019 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
11020 @cindex score cache
11021 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
11022 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
11023 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
11024 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
11025 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
11026 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
11029 @item gnus-save-score
11030 @vindex gnus-save-score
11031 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
11032 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
11033 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
11035 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
11036 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
11037 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
11038 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
11039 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
11040 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
11041 manually entered data.
11043 @item gnus-summary-default-score
11044 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
11045 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
11047 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
11048 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
11049 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
11050 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
11051 articles will be hidden.
11053 @item gnus-score-over-mark
11054 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
11055 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
11056 default. Default is @samp{+}.
11058 @item gnus-score-below-mark
11059 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
11060 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
11061 default. Default is @samp{-}.
11063 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
11064 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
11065 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
11066 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
11068 Predefined functions available are:
11071 @item gnus-score-find-single
11072 @findex gnus-score-find-single
11073 Only apply the group's own score file.
11075 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
11076 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
11077 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
11078 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
11079 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
11080 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
11081 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
11082 then a regexp match is done.
11084 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
11085 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
11087 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
11088 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
11089 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
11090 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
11092 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
11093 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
11094 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
11095 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
11096 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
11099 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
11100 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
11101 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
11102 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
11103 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
11104 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
11107 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
11108 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
11109 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
11110 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
11111 are expired. It's 7 by default.
11113 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
11114 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
11115 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
11116 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
11117 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
11118 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
11119 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
11122 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
11123 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
11124 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
11129 @node Score File Format
11130 @section Score File Format
11131 @cindex score file format
11133 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
11134 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
11135 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
11137 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
11141 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
11143 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
11145 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
11147 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
11152 (mark-and-expunge -10)
11156 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
11157 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
11158 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
11159 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
11163 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
11164 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
11166 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
11167 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
11168 has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
11170 Six keys are supported by this alist:
11175 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
11176 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
11177 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
11178 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
11179 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
11180 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
11181 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
11182 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
11183 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
11184 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
11185 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
11186 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
11187 to articles that matches these score entries.
11189 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
11190 score entry has one to four elements.
11194 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
11195 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
11199 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
11200 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
11201 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
11202 is successful. If this element is not present, the
11203 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
11204 instead. This is 1000 by default.
11207 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
11208 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
11209 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
11210 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
11211 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
11214 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
11215 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
11216 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
11217 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
11220 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
11221 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
11222 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
11223 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
11224 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
11225 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
11226 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
11227 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
11228 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
11229 instead, if you feel like.
11232 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
11233 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}. When matching on @code{Lines}, be
11234 careful because some backends (like @code{nndir}) do not generate
11235 @code{Lines} header, so every article ends up being marked as having 0
11236 lines. This can lead to strange results if you happen to lower score of
11237 the articles with few lines.
11240 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
11241 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
11242 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
11243 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
11244 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
11245 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
11246 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
11250 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
11251 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
11252 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
11253 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
11254 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
11255 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
11256 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
11257 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
11260 @item Head, Body, All
11261 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
11265 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
11266 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
11267 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
11268 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
11269 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
11270 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
11271 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
11275 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
11276 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
11277 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
11278 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
11279 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
11280 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
11281 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
11282 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
11283 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
11284 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
11288 @cindex Score File Atoms
11290 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11291 lower than this number will be marked as read.
11294 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11295 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
11297 @item mark-and-expunge
11298 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11299 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
11302 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
11303 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
11304 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
11305 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
11306 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
11309 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
11310 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
11313 @item exclude-files
11314 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
11315 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
11319 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
11320 ignored when handling global score files.
11323 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
11324 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
11327 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
11328 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
11329 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
11330 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
11332 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
11336 (mark-and-expunge -100)
11339 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
11340 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
11341 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
11342 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
11343 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
11345 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
11346 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
11347 ordinary scoring rules.
11350 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
11351 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
11352 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
11353 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
11354 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
11355 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
11356 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11357 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
11358 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
11359 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
11360 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
11364 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
11365 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
11366 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
11367 file for a number of groups.
11370 @cindex local variables
11371 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
11372 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
11373 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
11374 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
11379 @node Score File Editing
11380 @section Score File Editing
11382 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
11383 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
11384 with a mode for that.
11386 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
11387 additional commands:
11392 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
11393 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
11394 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
11395 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
11398 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
11399 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
11400 Insert the current date in numerical format
11401 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
11402 you were wondering.
11405 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
11406 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
11407 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
11408 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
11409 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
11414 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
11416 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
11417 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
11419 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
11420 e} to begin editing score files.
11423 @node Adaptive Scoring
11424 @section Adaptive Scoring
11425 @cindex adaptive scoring
11427 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
11428 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
11429 stupidity, to be precise.
11431 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
11432 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
11433 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
11434 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
11435 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11436 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
11437 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
11438 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
11439 variable to @code{(word line)}.
11441 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11442 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
11443 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
11444 might look something like this:
11447 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11448 '((gnus-unread-mark)
11449 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
11450 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
11451 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
11452 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
11453 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
11454 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
11455 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
11456 (gnus-ancient-mark)
11457 (gnus-low-score-mark)
11458 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
11461 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
11462 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
11463 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
11464 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
11465 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
11466 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
11469 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
11470 will be applied to each article.
11472 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
11473 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
11474 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
11475 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
11477 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
11478 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
11479 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
11480 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
11482 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
11483 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
11484 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
11485 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
11487 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
11488 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
11489 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
11490 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
11491 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
11492 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
11494 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
11495 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
11496 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
11497 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
11498 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
11499 aspirins afterwards.)
11501 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
11502 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
11503 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
11505 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
11506 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
11507 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
11509 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
11510 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
11511 let you use different rules in different groups.
11513 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
11514 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
11515 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
11518 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
11519 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
11520 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
11521 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
11522 the length of the match is less than
11523 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
11524 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
11527 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11528 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
11529 headers. If you adapt on words, the
11530 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
11531 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
11534 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11535 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
11536 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
11537 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
11538 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
11541 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
11542 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
11543 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
11544 score with 30 points.
11546 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
11547 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
11548 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
11549 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
11550 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
11552 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
11553 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
11554 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
11555 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
11557 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
11558 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
11559 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
11561 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
11562 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
11563 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
11564 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
11567 @node Home Score File
11568 @section Home Score File
11570 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
11571 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
11572 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
11573 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
11575 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
11576 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
11577 could perhaps use the same home score file.
11579 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
11580 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
11585 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
11589 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
11590 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
11594 A list. The elements in this list can be:
11598 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
11599 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
11602 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
11603 the home score file.
11606 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
11609 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
11614 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
11617 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11618 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
11621 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
11622 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
11625 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11626 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
11629 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
11631 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
11632 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
11633 their own home score files:
11636 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11637 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
11638 '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
11639 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
11640 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
11643 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
11644 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
11645 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
11646 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
11647 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
11649 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
11650 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
11651 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
11652 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
11653 precedence over this variable.
11656 @node Followups To Yourself
11657 @section Followups To Yourself
11659 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
11660 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
11661 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
11662 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
11663 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
11664 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
11668 @item gnus-score-followup-article
11669 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
11670 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
11673 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
11674 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
11675 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
11679 @vindex message-sent-hook
11680 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
11681 @code{message-sent-hook}.
11683 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
11684 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
11688 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11689 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11692 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
11693 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
11698 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
11702 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
11703 is system-dependent.
11707 @section Scoring Tips
11708 @cindex scoring tips
11714 @cindex scoring crossposts
11715 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
11716 the @code{Xref} header.
11718 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
11721 @item Multiple crossposts
11722 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
11723 more than, say, 3 groups:
11725 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
11728 @item Matching on the body
11729 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
11730 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
11731 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
11732 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
11733 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
11734 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
11735 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
11738 @item Marking as read
11739 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
11740 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
11741 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
11745 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
11747 @item Negated character classes
11748 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
11749 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
11750 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
11754 @node Reverse Scoring
11755 @section Reverse Scoring
11756 @cindex reverse scoring
11758 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
11759 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
11760 like this in your score file:
11764 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
11769 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
11770 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
11773 @node Global Score Files
11774 @section Global Score Files
11775 @cindex global score files
11777 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
11778 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
11779 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
11781 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
11782 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
11783 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
11785 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
11786 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
11787 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
11788 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
11789 files are applicable to which group.
11791 Say you want to use the score file
11792 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
11793 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
11796 (setq gnus-global-score-files
11797 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
11798 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
11801 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
11802 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
11803 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
11804 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
11805 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
11807 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
11808 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
11810 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
11811 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
11812 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
11813 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
11814 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
11815 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
11817 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
11823 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
11825 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
11827 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
11829 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
11830 lowered out of existence.
11832 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
11833 articles completely.
11836 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
11837 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
11838 old articles for a long time.
11841 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
11842 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
11843 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
11844 holding our breath yet?
11848 @section Kill Files
11851 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
11852 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
11853 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
11855 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
11856 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
11857 files into score files.
11859 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
11860 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
11861 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
11862 that isn't a very good idea.
11864 Normal kill files look like this:
11867 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11868 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
11872 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
11873 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
11875 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
11876 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
11879 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
11884 @kindex M-k (Summary)
11885 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
11886 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
11889 @kindex M-K (Summary)
11890 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
11891 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
11894 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
11899 @kindex M-k (Group)
11900 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
11901 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
11904 @kindex M-K (Group)
11905 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
11906 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
11909 Kill file variables:
11912 @item gnus-kill-file-name
11913 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
11914 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
11915 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
11916 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
11917 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
11918 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
11920 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11921 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11922 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
11923 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
11926 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
11927 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
11928 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
11929 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
11930 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
11931 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
11932 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
11933 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
11934 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
11936 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11937 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11938 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
11943 @node Converting Kill Files
11944 @section Converting Kill Files
11946 @cindex converting kill files
11948 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
11949 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
11950 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
11953 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
11954 You can fetch it from
11955 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
11957 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
11958 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
11959 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
11967 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
11968 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
11969 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
11971 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
11972 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
11973 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
11974 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
11975 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
11976 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
11977 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
11978 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
11982 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
11983 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
11984 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
11985 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
11989 @node Using GroupLens
11990 @subsection Using GroupLens
11992 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
11994 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
11995 better bit in town at the moment.
11997 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
12001 @item gnus-use-grouplens
12002 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
12003 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
12004 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
12006 @item grouplens-pseudonym
12007 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
12008 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
12009 with the Better Bit Bureau.
12011 @item grouplens-newsgroups
12012 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
12013 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
12017 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
12018 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
12019 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
12020 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
12021 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
12022 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
12025 @node Rating Articles
12026 @subsection Rating Articles
12028 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
12029 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
12030 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
12031 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
12034 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
12039 @kindex r (GroupLens)
12040 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
12041 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
12044 @kindex k (GroupLens)
12045 @findex grouplens-score-thread
12046 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
12047 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
12048 threads in rec.humor.
12052 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
12053 the score of the article you're reading.
12058 @kindex n (GroupLens)
12059 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
12060 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
12063 @kindex , (GroupLens)
12064 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
12065 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
12069 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
12070 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
12073 @node Displaying Predictions
12074 @subsection Displaying Predictions
12076 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
12077 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
12078 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
12079 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
12080 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
12082 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
12083 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
12084 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
12085 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
12086 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
12087 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
12088 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
12089 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
12090 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
12091 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
12092 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
12093 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
12094 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
12096 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
12097 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
12098 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
12099 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
12101 The following are legal values for that variable.
12104 @item prediction-spot
12105 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
12108 @item confidence-interval
12109 A numeric confidence interval.
12111 @item prediction-bar
12112 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
12114 @item confidence-bar
12115 Numerical confidence.
12117 @item confidence-spot
12118 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
12120 @item prediction-num
12121 Plain-old numeric value.
12123 @item confidence-plus-minus
12124 Prediction +/- confidence.
12129 @node GroupLens Variables
12130 @subsection GroupLens Variables
12134 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
12135 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
12136 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
12137 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
12140 @item grouplens-bbb-host
12141 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
12144 @item grouplens-bbb-port
12145 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
12147 @item grouplens-score-offset
12148 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
12149 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
12152 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
12153 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
12154 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
12159 @node Advanced Scoring
12160 @section Advanced Scoring
12162 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
12163 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
12164 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
12165 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
12166 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
12168 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
12172 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
12173 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
12174 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
12178 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
12179 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
12181 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
12182 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
12183 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
12184 non-@code{nil} value.
12186 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
12187 operator, and various match operators.
12194 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
12195 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
12196 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
12201 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
12202 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
12203 then this operator will return @code{false}.
12208 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
12209 logical negation of the value of its argument.
12213 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
12214 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
12215 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
12216 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
12217 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
12218 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
12219 the ancestry you want to go.
12221 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
12222 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
12223 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
12224 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
12225 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
12228 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
12229 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
12231 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
12232 when he's talking about Gnus:
12236 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12237 ("subject" "Gnus"))
12243 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
12247 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12254 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
12255 really don't want to read what he's written:
12259 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12260 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
12264 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
12265 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
12266 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
12273 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
12274 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
12275 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
12276 ("body" "white.*socks"))
12280 The possibilities are endless.
12283 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
12284 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
12286 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
12287 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
12288 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
12289 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
12290 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
12291 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
12292 @samp{subject}) first.
12294 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
12295 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
12306 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
12307 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
12313 ("subject" "Gnus")))
12320 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
12321 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
12326 @section Score Decays
12327 @cindex score decays
12330 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
12331 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
12332 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
12333 use them in any sensible way.
12335 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
12336 @findex gnus-decay-score
12337 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
12338 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
12339 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
12340 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
12341 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
12342 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
12343 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
12344 definition of that function:
12347 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
12348 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant' and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
12351 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
12353 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
12355 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
12358 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
12359 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
12360 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
12361 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
12365 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
12368 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
12371 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
12375 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
12376 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
12377 the new score, which should be an integer.
12379 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
12380 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
12387 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
12388 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
12389 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
12390 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
12391 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
12392 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
12393 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
12394 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
12395 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
12396 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
12397 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
12398 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
12399 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
12400 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
12401 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolited commercial email.
12402 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
12406 @node Process/Prefix
12407 @section Process/Prefix
12408 @cindex process/prefix convention
12410 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
12411 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
12413 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
12414 command to be performed on.
12418 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
12419 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
12420 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
12421 with the current one.
12423 @vindex transient-mark-mode
12424 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
12425 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
12427 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
12428 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
12431 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
12432 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
12434 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
12437 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
12438 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
12439 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
12440 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12442 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
12443 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
12444 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
12445 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
12446 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
12447 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
12448 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
12449 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
12453 @section Interactive
12454 @cindex interaction
12458 @item gnus-novice-user
12459 @vindex gnus-novice-user
12460 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
12461 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
12462 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
12463 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
12466 @item gnus-expert-user
12467 @vindex gnus-expert-user
12468 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
12469 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
12470 matter how strange.
12472 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
12473 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
12474 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
12475 is @code{t} by default.
12477 @item gnus-interactive-exit
12478 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
12479 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
12484 @node Formatting Variables
12485 @section Formatting Variables
12486 @cindex formatting variables
12488 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
12489 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
12490 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
12491 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
12494 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
12495 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
12496 lots of percentages everywhere.
12499 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
12500 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
12501 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
12502 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
12505 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
12506 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
12507 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
12508 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
12509 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
12510 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
12511 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
12512 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
12514 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
12515 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
12517 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
12518 @findex gnus-update-format
12519 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
12520 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
12521 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
12522 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
12526 @node Formatting Basics
12527 @subsection Formatting Basics
12529 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
12530 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
12531 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
12533 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
12534 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
12535 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
12536 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
12537 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
12540 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
12541 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
12542 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
12543 less than 4 characters wide.
12546 @node Advanced Formatting
12547 @subsection Advanced Formatting
12549 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
12550 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
12551 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
12552 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
12554 These are the legal modifiers:
12559 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
12563 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
12568 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
12571 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
12576 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
12579 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
12582 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
12585 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
12589 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
12590 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
12591 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
12592 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
12593 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
12594 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
12595 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
12597 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
12598 last operation, padding.
12600 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
12601 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
12602 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
12603 @xref{Compilation}.
12606 @node User-Defined Specs
12607 @subsection User-Defined Specs
12609 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
12610 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
12611 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
12612 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
12613 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
12614 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
12615 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
12616 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
12617 should protect against that.
12619 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
12620 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
12621 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
12622 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
12626 @node Formatting Fonts
12627 @subsection Formatting Fonts
12629 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
12630 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
12631 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
12632 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
12635 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
12636 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
12637 default. If you say @samp{%1[}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
12638 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
12639 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
12640 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
12642 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
12645 ;; Create three face types.
12646 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
12647 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
12649 ;; We want the article count to be in
12650 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
12651 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
12652 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
12654 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
12655 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
12657 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
12658 (setq gnus-group-line-format
12659 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
12662 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
12663 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
12665 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
12666 mode-line variables.
12669 @node Windows Configuration
12670 @section Windows Configuration
12671 @cindex windows configuration
12673 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
12675 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
12676 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
12677 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
12678 @code{t} by default.
12680 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
12681 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
12682 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
12685 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
12686 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
12687 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12691 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
12692 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
12693 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
12694 possible names is listed below.
12696 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
12697 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
12700 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12704 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
12705 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
12706 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
12707 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
12708 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
12709 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
12710 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
12711 size spec per split.
12713 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
12716 Here's a more complicated example:
12719 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
12720 (summary 0.25 point)
12721 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
12725 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
12726 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
12727 occupy, not a percentage.
12729 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
12730 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
12731 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
12732 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
12733 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
12736 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
12739 (article (horizontal 1.0
12744 (summary 0.25 point)
12749 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
12750 @code{horizontal} thingie?
12752 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
12753 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
12754 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
12755 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
12756 the screen is to be given to this strip.
12758 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
12759 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
12760 lines from the splits.
12762 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
12766 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
12767 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
12768 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
12769 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
12770 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
12771 size = number | frame-params
12772 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
12775 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
12776 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
12777 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
12778 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
12780 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
12781 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
12782 @cindex window height
12783 @cindex window width
12784 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
12785 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
12786 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
12787 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
12788 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
12789 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
12791 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
12792 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
12793 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
12794 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
12796 @findex gnus-configure-frame
12797 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
12798 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
12799 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
12800 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
12801 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
12802 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
12803 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
12804 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
12805 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
12806 configuration list.
12809 (gnus-configure-frame
12813 (article 0.3 point))
12821 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
12822 @code{frame} split:
12825 (gnus-configure-frame
12828 (summary 0.25 point)
12830 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
12831 (user-position . t)
12832 (left . -1) (top . 1))
12837 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
12838 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
12839 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
12840 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
12841 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
12842 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
12843 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
12844 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
12847 Here's a list of all possible keys for
12848 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
12850 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
12851 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
12852 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
12853 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
12854 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
12855 @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}, and @code{score-trace}.
12857 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
12858 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
12859 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
12863 (message (horizontal 1.0
12864 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
12866 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
12871 @findex gnus-add-configuration
12872 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
12873 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
12874 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
12875 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
12878 (gnus-add-configuration
12879 '(article (vertical 1.0
12881 (summary .25 point)
12885 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
12886 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
12887 Gnus has been loaded.
12889 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
12890 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
12891 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
12892 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
12893 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
12897 @section Compilation
12898 @cindex compilation
12899 @cindex byte-compilation
12901 @findex gnus-compile
12903 Remember all those line format specification variables?
12904 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
12905 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
12906 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
12907 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
12908 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
12911 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
12912 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
12913 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
12914 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
12915 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
12916 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
12917 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
12921 @section Mode Lines
12924 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
12925 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
12926 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
12927 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
12928 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
12929 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
12930 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
12933 @cindex display-time
12935 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
12936 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
12937 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
12938 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
12939 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
12940 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
12941 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
12942 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
12945 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
12947 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
12948 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
12950 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
12951 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
12952 (length display-time-string)))))
12955 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
12956 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
12957 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
12958 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
12959 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
12962 @node Highlighting and Menus
12963 @section Highlighting and Menus
12965 @cindex highlighting
12968 @vindex gnus-visual
12969 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
12970 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
12971 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
12974 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
12975 following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
12978 @item group-highlight
12979 Do highlights in the group buffer.
12980 @item summary-highlight
12981 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
12982 @item article-highlight
12983 Do highlights in the article buffer.
12985 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
12987 Create menus in the group buffer.
12989 Create menus in the summary buffers.
12991 Create menus in the article buffer.
12993 Create menus in the browse buffer.
12995 Create menus in the server buffer.
12997 Create menus in the score buffers.
12999 Create menus in all buffers.
13002 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
13003 buffers, you could say something like:
13006 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
13009 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
13012 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
13015 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
13016 in all Gnus buffers.
13018 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
13021 @item gnus-mouse-face
13022 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
13023 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
13024 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
13028 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
13032 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
13033 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
13034 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
13036 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
13037 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
13038 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
13040 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
13041 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
13042 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
13044 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
13045 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
13046 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
13048 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
13049 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
13050 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
13052 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
13053 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
13054 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
13065 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
13066 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
13067 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
13068 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
13069 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
13073 @vindex gnus-carpal
13074 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
13075 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
13076 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
13081 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
13082 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
13083 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
13085 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
13086 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
13087 Face used on buttons.
13089 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
13090 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
13091 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
13093 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
13094 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
13095 Buttons in the group buffer.
13097 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
13098 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
13099 Buttons in the summary buffer.
13101 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
13102 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
13103 Buttons in the server buffer.
13105 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
13106 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
13107 Buttons in the browse buffer.
13110 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
13111 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
13112 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
13120 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
13121 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
13122 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
13123 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
13124 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
13126 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
13127 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
13128 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
13130 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
13131 been idle for thirty minutes:
13134 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
13137 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
13141 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
13144 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
13145 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
13146 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
13148 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
13149 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
13150 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
13151 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
13153 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
13154 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
13155 @var{idle} minutes.
13157 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
13158 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
13161 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
13162 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
13163 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
13165 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
13166 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
13167 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
13168 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
13170 @vindex gnus-use-demon
13171 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
13172 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
13174 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
13175 your @file{.gnus} file:
13177 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
13179 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
13182 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
13183 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
13184 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
13185 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
13186 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
13187 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
13188 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
13189 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
13190 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
13191 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
13193 @findex gnus-demon-init
13194 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
13195 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
13196 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
13197 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
13198 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
13200 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
13201 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
13202 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
13211 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
13212 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
13214 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
13215 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
13216 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
13217 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
13220 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
13221 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
13222 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
13223 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
13225 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
13226 this will make spam disappear.
13228 There are some variables to customize, of course:
13231 @item gnus-use-nocem
13232 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
13233 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
13236 @item gnus-nocem-groups
13237 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
13238 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
13239 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
13240 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
13242 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
13243 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
13244 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
13245 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
13246 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
13247 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
13249 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
13252 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
13253 @cindex Chris Lewis
13254 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
13255 usenet abuse than anybody else.
13258 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
13259 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
13260 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
13262 @item jem@@xpat.com;
13264 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
13267 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
13268 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
13269 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
13272 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
13273 ones you want to listen to.
13275 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
13276 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
13278 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
13279 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
13280 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
13281 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
13283 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
13284 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
13287 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
13289 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
13297 This might be dangerous, though.
13299 @item gnus-nocem-directory
13300 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
13301 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
13302 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
13304 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13305 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13306 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
13307 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
13308 might then see old spam.
13312 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
13313 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
13314 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
13315 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
13322 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
13323 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
13324 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
13326 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
13327 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
13328 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
13329 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
13330 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
13331 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
13332 @code{undo} function.
13334 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
13335 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
13336 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
13337 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
13338 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
13339 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
13340 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
13341 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
13342 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
13343 never be totally undoable.
13345 @findex gnus-undo-mode
13346 @vindex gnus-use-undo
13348 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
13349 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
13350 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
13351 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
13356 @section Moderation
13359 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
13360 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
13361 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
13364 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
13368 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
13371 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
13373 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
13378 You split your incoming mail by matching on
13379 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
13380 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
13383 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
13384 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
13387 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
13388 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
13392 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
13395 (setq gnus-moderated-list
13396 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
13400 @node XEmacs Enhancements
13401 @section XEmacs Enhancements
13404 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
13408 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
13409 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
13410 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
13411 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
13420 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-att.ps}
13421 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-berkeley.ps}
13422 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-caltech.ps}
13423 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-canada.ps}
13424 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-cr.ps}
13425 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-cygnus.ps}
13426 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-gov.ps}
13427 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-mit.ps}
13428 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-nasa.ps}
13429 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-qmw.ps}
13430 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-rms.ps}
13431 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-ruu.ps}
13435 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
13436 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
13437 over your shoulder as you read news.
13440 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
13441 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
13442 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
13443 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
13444 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
13449 @subsubsection Picon Basics
13451 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
13454 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
13455 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
13456 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
13457 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
13458 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
13459 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
13460 @code{GIF} formats.
13463 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases, point
13464 your Web browser at
13465 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
13467 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13468 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
13469 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
13472 @node Picon Requirements
13473 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
13475 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
13476 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
13479 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
13481 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13482 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
13483 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
13484 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
13488 @subsubsection Easy Picons
13490 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
13491 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
13494 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
13495 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13496 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
13497 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
13502 @subsubsection Hard Picons
13504 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
13505 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
13506 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
13507 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
13508 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
13512 @item gnus-picons-display-where
13513 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13514 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
13515 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
13516 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
13517 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
13518 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
13519 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
13525 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-seuu.ps}
13526 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-stanford.ps}
13527 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-sun.ps}
13528 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-ubc.ps}
13529 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-ufl.ps}
13530 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-uio.ps}
13531 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-unit.ps}
13532 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-upenn.ps}
13533 \gnuspicon{tmp/picons-wesleyan.ps}
13537 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
13538 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
13540 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
13541 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
13542 displayed at the right time.
13544 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
13545 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13547 @item gnus-article-display-picons
13548 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13549 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
13550 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to the
13551 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13553 @item gnus-group-display-picons
13554 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13555 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
13556 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
13557 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
13558 is set to @code{article}.
13560 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
13561 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13562 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
13563 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13567 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
13568 for the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
13571 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13575 @node Picon Configuration
13576 @subsubsection Picon Configuration
13578 The following variables offer further control over how things are
13579 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
13580 don't need to worry about.
13583 @item gnus-picons-database
13584 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13585 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
13586 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
13587 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
13589 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
13590 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
13591 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
13594 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
13595 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
13596 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
13597 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
13599 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
13600 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
13601 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
13602 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
13603 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
13605 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13606 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13607 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
13608 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
13609 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
13610 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
13612 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13613 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13614 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
13615 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
13617 @item gnus-picons-buffer
13618 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
13619 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
13620 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
13626 @subsection Smileys
13629 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
13630 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
13632 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
13633 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13636 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-smiley-display t)
13639 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
13640 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
13641 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
13642 text and maps that to file names.
13644 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
13645 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
13646 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
13647 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
13648 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
13649 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
13651 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
13652 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
13654 Here's the default value of @code{smiley-smiley-regexp-alist}:
13657 (setq smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
13658 '(("\\(:-+[<«]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceAngry.xpm")
13659 ("\\(:-+\\]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceGoofy.xpm")
13660 ("\\(:-+D\\)\\W" 1 "FaceGrinning.xpm")
13661 ("\\(:-+[@}»]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceHappy.xpm")
13662 ("\\(:-*)+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceHappy.xpm")
13663 ("\\(:-+[/\\\"]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceIronic.xpm")
13664 ("\\([8|]-+[|Oo%]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceKOed.xpm")
13665 ("\\([:|]-+#+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceNyah.xpm")
13666 ("\\(:-+[(@{]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceSad.xpm")
13667 ("\\(:-+[Oo\*]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceStartled.xpm")
13668 ("\\(:-+|\\)\\W" 1 "FaceStraight.xpm")
13669 ("\\(:-+p\\)\\W" 1 "FaceTalking.xpm")
13670 ("\\(:-+d\\)\\W" 1 "FaceTasty.xpm")
13671 ("\\(;-+[>)@}»]+\\)\\W" 1 "FaceWinking.xpm")
13672 ("\\(:-+[Vvµ]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceWry.xpm")
13673 ("\\(][:8B]-[)>]\\)\\W" 1 "FaceDevilish.xpm")
13674 ("\\([:|]-+P\\)\\W" 1 "FaceYukky.xpm")))
13677 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
13678 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
13679 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
13681 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
13682 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
13686 @item smiley-data-directory
13687 @vindex smiley-data-directory
13688 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
13690 @item smiley-flesh-color
13691 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
13692 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
13694 @item smiley-features-color
13695 @vindex smiley-features-color
13696 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
13698 @item smiley-tongue-color
13699 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
13700 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
13702 @item smiley-circle-color
13703 @vindex smiley-circle-color
13704 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
13706 @item smiley-mouse-face
13707 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
13708 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
13714 @subsection Toolbar
13718 @item gnus-use-toolbar
13719 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
13720 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
13721 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
13722 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
13724 @item gnus-group-toolbar
13725 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
13726 The toolbar in the group buffer.
13728 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
13729 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
13730 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
13732 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13733 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13734 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
13740 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
13743 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13744 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13745 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
13746 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
13747 unusual directory structure.
13749 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13750 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13751 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
13752 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
13754 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13755 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13756 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
13757 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
13758 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
13759 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
13761 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13762 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13763 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
13769 @node Fuzzy Matching
13770 @section Fuzzy Matching
13771 @cindex fuzzy matching
13773 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
13774 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
13776 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
13777 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
13778 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
13780 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
13781 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
13782 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
13783 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
13784 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
13787 @node Thwarting Email Spam
13788 @section Thwarting Email Spam
13792 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
13794 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
13795 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
13796 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
13797 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
13798 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
13799 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
13800 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
13801 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
13804 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
13805 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
13806 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
13807 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
13808 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrouos hair on your toes!'')
13809 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
13813 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
13814 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
13816 First, pick one (1) legal mail address that you can be reached at, and
13817 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
13818 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
13819 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
13820 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
13821 part of the mail address.)
13824 (setq message-default-news-headers
13825 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
13828 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13829 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
13834 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
13835 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
13836 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
13842 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
13843 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
13844 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
13845 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
13847 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
13848 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
13849 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
13850 twarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
13851 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
13852 your fancy split rule in this way:
13857 (to "larsi" "misc")
13861 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
13862 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
13863 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
13864 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
13865 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
13867 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
13868 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, availiable FOR FREE
13869 at @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
13870 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
13871 cosmic balance somewhat.
13873 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
13874 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
13875 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
13876 to non-existant domains is yucky, in my opinion.
13879 @node Various Various
13880 @section Various Various
13886 @item gnus-home-directory
13887 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
13888 defaults to @file{~/}.
13890 @item gnus-directory
13891 @vindex gnus-directory
13892 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
13893 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
13894 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
13896 @item gnus-default-directory
13897 @vindex gnus-default-directory
13898 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
13899 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
13900 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
13901 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13902 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
13903 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
13906 @vindex gnus-verbose
13907 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
13908 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
13909 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
13910 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
13911 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
13913 @item gnus-verbose-backends
13914 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
13915 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
13916 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
13918 @item nnheader-max-head-length
13919 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
13920 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
13921 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
13922 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
13923 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
13924 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
13925 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
13926 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
13927 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
13929 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
13930 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
13931 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
13932 read when doing the operation described above.
13934 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13935 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13937 @cindex illegal characters in file names
13938 @cindex characters in file names
13939 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
13940 For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
13941 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
13944 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13948 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
13949 Windows (phooey) systems.
13951 @item gnus-hidden-properties
13952 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
13953 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
13954 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
13955 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
13957 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
13958 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
13959 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
13960 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
13961 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
13963 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
13964 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
13965 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
13974 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
13975 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
13977 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
13979 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
13985 Not because of victories @*
13988 but for the common sunshine,@*
13990 the largess of the spring.
13994 but for the day's work done@*
13995 as well as I was able;@*
13996 not for a seat upon the dais@*
13997 but at the common table.@*
14002 @chapter Appendices
14005 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
14006 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
14007 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
14008 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
14009 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
14010 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
14011 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
14019 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
14020 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
14022 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
14023 can point your (feh!) web browser to
14024 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
14025 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
14026 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
14028 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
14029 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
14030 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
14031 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
14032 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
14033 appropriate name, don't you think?)
14035 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
14036 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
14037 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
14038 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
14040 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
14041 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
14042 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
14044 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
14045 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
14047 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
14048 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4''.
14050 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
14051 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
14052 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
14053 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
14054 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
14058 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
14059 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
14060 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
14061 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
14062 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
14063 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
14064 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
14071 What's the point of Gnus?
14073 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
14074 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
14075 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
14076 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
14077 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
14078 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
14079 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
14080 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
14081 keep track of millions of people who post?
14083 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
14084 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
14085 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
14086 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
14087 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
14088 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
14089 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
14090 every one of you to explore and invent.
14092 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
14093 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
14096 @node Compatibility
14097 @subsection Compatibility
14099 @cindex compatibility
14100 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
14101 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
14102 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
14107 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
14111 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
14114 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
14117 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
14118 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
14119 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
14120 important variables have their values copied into their global
14121 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
14122 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
14124 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
14125 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
14126 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
14127 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
14128 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
14132 @cindex highlighting
14133 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
14134 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
14135 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
14136 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
14137 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
14138 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
14141 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
14142 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
14143 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
14144 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
14146 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
14147 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
14148 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
14149 to stop doing it the old way.
14151 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
14153 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
14155 @cindex reporting bugs
14157 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
14158 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
14159 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
14163 @subsection Conformity
14165 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
14166 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
14173 There are no known breaches of this standard.
14177 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
14179 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
14180 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
14181 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
14182 the next inspection.
14184 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
14185 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
14186 We do have some breaches to this one.
14191 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
14192 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
14195 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
14196 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
14197 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
14198 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
14199 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
14204 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
14205 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
14210 @subsection Emacsen
14216 Gnus should work on :
14221 Emacs 19.32 and up.
14224 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
14227 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
14231 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
14232 reliably, at least.
14234 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
14235 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
14236 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
14241 @subsection Contributors
14242 @cindex contributors
14244 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
14245 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
14246 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
14247 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
14248 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
14249 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
14250 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
14251 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
14252 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
14253 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
14255 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
14261 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
14264 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
14265 well as numerous other things).
14268 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
14271 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
14274 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
14275 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
14278 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
14281 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
14282 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
14285 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
14288 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
14291 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
14294 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
14297 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinsky---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
14298 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
14301 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
14304 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
14307 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
14310 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
14314 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
14317 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
14320 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
14323 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports.
14327 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
14328 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
14330 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
14339 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
14343 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
14358 Massimo Campostrini,
14363 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
14368 Michael Welsh Duggan,
14375 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
14380 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
14384 François Felix Ingrand,
14385 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
14392 Peter Skov Knudsen,
14393 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
14394 Thor Kristoffersen,
14409 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
14410 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
14416 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
14421 John McClary Prevost,
14429 Philippe Schnoebelen,
14430 Randal L. Schwartz,
14451 Katsumi Yamaoka. @c Yamaoka
14453 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
14454 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
14455 (550kB and counting).
14457 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
14460 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
14461 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
14465 @subsection New Features
14466 @cindex new features
14469 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
14470 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
14471 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
14474 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
14475 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
14476 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
14480 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
14482 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
14487 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
14488 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
14491 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
14492 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
14495 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
14498 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
14499 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
14500 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
14503 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
14504 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
14505 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
14506 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14509 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
14510 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14513 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
14514 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
14515 (@pxref{The Active File}).
14518 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
14519 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
14522 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
14523 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
14524 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14527 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
14528 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
14529 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
14532 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
14533 the @file{.emacs} file.
14536 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
14537 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14540 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
14541 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
14544 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
14545 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14548 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
14549 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
14552 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
14553 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14556 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
14559 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
14560 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
14563 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
14564 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
14567 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
14568 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
14571 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
14574 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
14575 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14578 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
14582 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
14586 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
14587 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
14590 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
14596 @node September Gnus
14597 @subsubsection September Gnus
14599 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
14604 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
14605 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
14609 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
14610 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
14614 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
14618 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
14619 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
14622 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
14626 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
14629 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
14632 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
14635 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
14639 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
14640 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
14643 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
14647 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
14651 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
14655 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
14659 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
14662 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
14663 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
14666 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
14670 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
14671 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
14674 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
14677 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
14678 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
14679 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14682 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
14686 The Gnus cache is much faster.
14689 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
14693 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
14694 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14697 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
14698 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
14701 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
14702 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14705 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
14706 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
14707 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
14710 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
14711 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
14714 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
14717 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14720 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14721 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
14725 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
14728 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
14731 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
14732 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
14735 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
14739 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
14742 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
14745 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
14749 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14752 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
14756 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
14759 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
14762 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
14763 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14766 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
14767 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
14771 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
14772 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
14775 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
14779 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
14780 buffer to allow easier treatment.
14783 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
14786 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
14790 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
14794 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
14795 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
14798 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
14802 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
14803 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14806 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
14807 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14810 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
14814 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14817 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14818 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
14822 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
14825 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
14831 @subsubsection Red Gnus
14833 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
14838 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
14841 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
14842 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14845 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
14846 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
14850 Article washing status can be displayed in the
14851 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
14854 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
14857 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
14858 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
14861 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
14865 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
14866 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
14870 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
14871 Server Internals}).
14874 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
14878 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
14881 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
14882 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
14885 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
14886 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
14887 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
14890 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
14891 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14894 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
14895 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
14898 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
14902 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
14903 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14906 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
14907 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14910 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
14914 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
14917 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
14921 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
14922 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14925 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
14926 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14929 A new command for reading collections of documents
14930 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
14931 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
14934 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
14938 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
14939 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
14942 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
14943 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
14944 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
14947 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
14948 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
14952 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
14956 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
14960 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
14964 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
14968 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
14969 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
14972 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
14975 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
14981 @node Newest Features
14982 @subsection Newest Features
14985 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
14988 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
14992 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
14994 Really do unbinhexing.
14997 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
14998 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
15000 @file{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/rgnus/todo>} is where the actual
15001 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
15002 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
15007 @section The Manual
15011 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
15012 either @code{texi2dvi}
15014 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
15015 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
15017 to get what you hold in your hands now.
15019 The following conventions have been used:
15024 This is a @samp{string}
15027 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
15030 This is a @file{file}
15033 This is a @code{symbol}
15037 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
15041 (setq flargnoze "yes")
15044 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
15047 (setq flumphel 'yes)
15050 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
15051 ever get them confused.
15055 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
15056 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
15057 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
15058 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
15059 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
15060 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
15061 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
15068 @section Terminology
15070 @cindex terminology
15075 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
15076 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
15077 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
15078 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
15079 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
15083 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
15084 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
15085 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
15086 not posting, and replying is not following up.
15090 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
15094 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
15099 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
15100 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
15101 is all done by the backends.
15105 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
15106 default, way of getting news.
15110 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
15111 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
15116 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
15117 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
15121 A message that has been posted as news.
15124 @cindex mail message
15125 A message that has been mailed.
15129 A mail message or news article
15133 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
15138 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
15143 A line from the head of an article.
15147 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
15148 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
15152 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
15153 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
15154 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
15155 normal @sc{head} format.
15159 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
15160 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
15161 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
15162 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
15163 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
15164 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
15166 @item killed groups
15167 @cindex killed groups
15168 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
15169 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
15171 @item zombie groups
15172 @cindex zombie groups
15173 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
15176 @cindex active file
15177 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
15178 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
15179 is rather large, as you might surmise.
15182 @cindex bogus groups
15183 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
15184 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
15185 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
15189 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
15191 @item select method
15192 @cindex select method
15193 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
15196 @item virtual server
15197 @cindex virtual server
15198 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
15199 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
15200 whole is a virtual server.
15204 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
15205 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
15208 @item ephemeral groups
15209 @cindex ephemeral groups
15210 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
15211 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
15212 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
15215 @cindex solid groups
15216 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
15217 group buffer are solid groups.
15219 @item sparse articles
15220 @cindex sparse articles
15221 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
15222 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
15227 @node Customization
15228 @section Customization
15229 @cindex general customization
15231 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
15232 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
15233 for some quite common situations.
15236 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
15237 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
15238 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
15239 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
15243 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
15244 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
15246 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
15247 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
15248 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
15252 @item gnus-read-active-file
15253 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
15254 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
15255 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
15256 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
15257 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
15259 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
15260 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
15261 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
15262 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
15266 @node Slow Terminal Connection
15267 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
15269 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
15270 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
15271 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
15275 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
15276 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
15277 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
15278 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
15279 horizontal and vertical recentering.
15281 @item gnus-visible-headers
15282 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
15283 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
15284 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
15285 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
15287 @item gnus-article-display-hook
15288 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
15290 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
15291 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
15292 gnus-article-hide-citation))
15295 @item gnus-use-full-window
15296 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
15297 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
15298 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
15299 want to read them anyway.
15301 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
15302 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
15305 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
15306 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
15307 lines, which might save some time.
15311 @node Little Disk Space
15312 @subsection Little Disk Space
15315 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
15316 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
15320 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
15321 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
15322 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
15323 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
15326 @item gnus-save-killed-list
15327 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
15328 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
15329 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
15330 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
15336 @subsection Slow Machine
15337 @cindex slow machine
15339 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
15340 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
15342 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
15343 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
15345 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
15346 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
15347 summary buffer faster.
15349 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
15350 processing a bit faster.
15353 @node Troubleshooting
15354 @section Troubleshooting
15355 @cindex troubleshooting
15357 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
15365 Make sure your computer is switched on.
15368 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
15369 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
15373 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
15374 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
15375 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
15376 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
15379 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
15383 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
15384 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
15385 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
15386 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
15387 something like that.
15390 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
15393 @cindex reporting bugs
15395 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
15397 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
15398 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
15399 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
15400 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
15402 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
15403 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
15404 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
15405 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
15408 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
15409 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
15410 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
15411 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
15412 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
15413 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
15415 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
15416 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
15417 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
15420 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
15421 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
15423 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
15424 @cindex ding mailing list
15425 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
15426 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
15429 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
15430 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
15432 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
15433 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
15434 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
15435 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
15438 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
15439 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
15440 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
15441 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
15442 and general methods of operation.
15445 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
15446 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
15447 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
15448 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
15449 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
15450 * Group Info:: The group info format.
15451 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
15452 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
15456 @node Gnus Utility Functions
15457 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
15458 @cindex Gnus utility functions
15459 @cindex utility functions
15461 @cindex internal variables
15463 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
15464 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
15465 Below is a list of the most common ones.
15469 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
15470 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
15471 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
15473 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
15474 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
15475 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
15477 @item gnus-group-real-name
15478 @findex gnus-group-real-name
15479 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
15482 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
15483 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
15484 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
15485 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
15487 @item gnus-get-info
15488 @findex gnus-get-info
15489 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
15491 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
15492 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
15493 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
15496 @item gnus-continuum-version
15497 @findex gnus-continuum-version
15498 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
15499 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
15502 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
15503 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
15504 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
15506 @item gnus-news-group-p
15507 @findex gnus-news-group-p
15508 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
15510 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
15511 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
15512 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
15514 @item gnus-server-to-method
15515 @findex gnus-server-to-method
15516 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
15518 @item gnus-server-equal
15519 @findex gnus-server-equal
15520 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
15522 @item gnus-group-native-p
15523 @findex gnus-group-native-p
15524 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
15526 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
15527 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
15528 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
15530 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
15531 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
15532 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
15534 @item group-group-find-parameter
15535 @findex group-group-find-parameter
15536 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
15537 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
15539 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
15540 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
15541 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
15543 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
15544 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
15545 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
15547 @item gnus-check-backend-function
15548 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
15549 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
15550 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
15553 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
15557 @item gnus-read-method
15558 @findex gnus-read-method
15559 Prompts the user for a select method.
15564 @node Backend Interface
15565 @subsection Backend Interface
15567 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
15568 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
15569 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
15570 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
15571 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
15572 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
15574 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
15575 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
15576 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
15577 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
15578 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
15579 been opened, the function should fail.
15581 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
15582 name. Take this example:
15586 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
15587 (nntp-port-number 4324))
15590 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
15591 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
15593 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
15594 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
15595 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
15597 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
15598 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
15599 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
15601 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
15602 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
15603 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
15604 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
15605 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
15606 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
15609 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
15610 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
15611 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
15612 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
15615 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
15618 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
15621 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
15622 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
15623 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
15624 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
15625 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
15626 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
15630 @node Required Backend Functions
15631 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
15635 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
15637 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
15638 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
15639 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
15640 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
15642 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
15643 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
15644 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
15645 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
15647 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
15648 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
15649 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
15650 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
15651 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
15652 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
15653 number, do maximum fetches.
15655 Here's an example HEAD:
15658 221 1056 Article retrieved.
15659 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
15660 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
15661 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
15662 Subject: Re: Something very droll
15663 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
15664 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
15666 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
15667 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
15668 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
15672 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
15673 these in the data buffer.
15675 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
15679 head = error / valid-head
15680 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
15681 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
15682 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
15683 header = <text> eol
15686 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
15687 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
15691 nov-buffer = *nov-line
15692 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
15693 field = <text except TAB>
15696 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
15700 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
15702 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
15703 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
15705 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
15706 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
15707 server. In fact, it should do so.
15709 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
15710 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
15713 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
15715 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
15716 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
15719 There should be no data returned.
15722 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
15724 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
15725 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
15726 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
15727 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
15729 There should be no data returned.
15732 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
15734 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
15735 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
15736 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
15737 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
15739 There should be no data returned.
15742 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
15744 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
15746 There should be no data returned.
15749 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
15751 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
15752 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
15753 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
15754 it would be nice if that were possible.
15756 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
15757 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
15758 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
15759 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
15760 into its article buffer.
15762 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
15763 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
15764 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
15765 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
15766 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
15767 on successful article retrieval.
15770 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
15772 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
15773 making @var{group} the current group.
15775 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
15778 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
15781 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
15784 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
15785 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
15786 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
15787 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
15788 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
15789 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
15790 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
15791 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
15794 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
15795 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
15796 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
15800 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15802 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
15803 a no-op on most backends.
15805 There should be no data returned.
15808 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
15810 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
15813 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
15816 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
15817 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
15820 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
15821 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
15824 active-file = *active-line
15825 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
15827 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
15830 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
15831 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
15832 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
15835 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
15837 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
15838 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
15839 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
15840 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
15841 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
15842 clear if the posting could not be completed.
15844 There should be no result data from this function.
15849 @node Optional Backend Functions
15850 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
15854 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
15856 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
15857 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
15858 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
15860 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
15861 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
15862 former is in the same format as the data from
15863 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
15864 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
15867 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
15871 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
15873 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
15874 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
15875 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
15876 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
15877 should return the (altered) group info.
15879 There should be no result data from this function.
15882 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
15884 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
15885 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
15886 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
15887 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
15888 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
15889 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
15890 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
15891 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
15893 There should be no result data from this function.
15896 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
15898 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
15899 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
15900 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
15901 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
15902 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
15904 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
15905 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
15906 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
15909 There should be no result data from this function.
15912 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
15914 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
15915 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
15916 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
15917 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
15918 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
15919 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
15920 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
15922 There should be no result data from this function.
15925 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
15927 The result data from this function should be a description of
15931 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
15933 description = <text>
15936 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
15938 The result data from this function should be the description of all
15939 groups available on the server.
15942 description-buffer = *description-line
15946 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
15948 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
15949 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
15950 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
15953 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15955 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
15957 There should be no return data.
15960 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
15962 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
15963 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
15964 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
15965 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
15966 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
15969 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
15972 There should be no result data returned.
15975 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
15978 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
15979 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
15981 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
15982 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
15983 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
15984 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
15985 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
15986 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
15988 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
15989 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
15992 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
15993 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
15995 There should be no data returned.
15998 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
16000 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
16001 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
16002 this function in short order.
16004 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
16005 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
16007 There should be no data returned.
16010 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
16012 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
16013 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
16015 There should be no data returned.
16018 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
16020 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
16021 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
16022 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
16024 There should be no data returned.
16027 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
16029 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
16030 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
16032 There should be no data returned.
16037 @node Error Messaging
16038 @subsubsection Error Messaging
16040 @findex nnheader-report
16041 @findex nnheader-get-report
16042 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
16043 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
16044 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
16045 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
16046 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
16047 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
16050 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
16052 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
16055 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
16056 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
16057 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
16058 takes one argument---the server symbol.
16060 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
16061 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
16062 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
16065 @node Writing New Backends
16066 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
16068 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
16069 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
16070 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
16071 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
16072 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
16075 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
16076 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
16077 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
16079 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
16080 package called @code{nnoo}.
16082 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
16083 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
16089 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
16090 parameters. For instance:
16093 (nnoo-declare nndir
16097 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
16098 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
16101 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
16102 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
16103 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
16105 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
16106 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
16107 a function in those backends.
16110 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
16111 "Where nndir will look for groups."
16112 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
16115 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
16116 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
16117 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
16119 @item nnoo-define-basics
16120 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
16124 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
16128 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
16129 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
16130 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
16132 @item nnoo-map-functions
16133 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
16134 functions from the parent backends.
16137 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
16138 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
16139 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
16142 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
16143 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
16144 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
16145 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
16148 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
16149 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
16150 haven't already been defined.
16156 nnmh-request-newgroups)
16160 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
16161 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
16162 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
16167 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
16170 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
16171 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
16175 (require 'nnheader)
16179 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
16181 (nnoo-declare nndir
16184 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
16185 "Where nndir will look for groups."
16186 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
16188 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
16189 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
16192 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
16193 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
16194 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
16196 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
16197 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
16199 ;;; Interface functions.
16201 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
16203 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
16204 (setq nndir-directory
16205 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
16207 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
16208 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
16209 (push `(nndir-current-group
16210 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
16212 (push `(nndir-top-directory
16213 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
16215 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
16217 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
16218 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
16219 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
16220 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
16221 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
16225 nnmh-status-message
16227 nnmh-request-newgroups))
16233 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
16234 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
16236 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
16237 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
16238 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
16239 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
16241 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
16242 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
16247 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
16250 The abilities can be:
16254 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
16256 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
16258 This backend supports both mail and news.
16260 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
16263 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
16264 articles and groups.
16266 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
16267 true for almost all backends.
16268 @item prompt-address
16269 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
16270 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
16271 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
16275 @node Mail-like Backends
16276 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
16278 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
16279 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
16280 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
16281 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
16284 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
16285 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
16286 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
16289 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
16290 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
16293 This function takes four parameters.
16297 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
16300 @item exit-function
16301 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
16303 @item temp-directory
16304 Where the temporary files should be stored.
16307 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
16308 performed for one group only.
16311 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
16312 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
16313 find the article number assigned to this article.
16315 The function also uses the following variables:
16316 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
16317 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
16318 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
16319 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
16323 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
16324 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
16328 @node Score File Syntax
16329 @subsection Score File Syntax
16331 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
16332 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
16333 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
16335 Here's a typical score file:
16339 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
16346 BNF definition of a score file:
16349 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
16350 element = rule / atom
16351 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
16352 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
16353 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
16354 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
16356 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
16357 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
16358 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
16359 date-header = "date"
16360 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16361 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16362 score = "nil" / <integer>
16363 date = "nil" / <natural number>
16364 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
16365 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
16366 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
16367 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
16368 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16369 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16370 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
16371 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
16372 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
16373 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
16374 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
16375 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
16376 exclude-files / read-only / touched
16377 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
16378 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
16379 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
16380 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
16381 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
16382 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
16383 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
16384 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
16385 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
16386 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
16387 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
16388 eval = "eval" space <form>
16389 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
16392 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
16395 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
16396 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
16397 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
16398 one looong line, then that's ok.
16400 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
16401 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
16405 @subsection Headers
16407 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
16408 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
16409 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
16410 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
16412 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
16413 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
16414 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
16415 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
16416 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
16417 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
16418 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
16420 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
16421 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
16422 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
16423 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
16424 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
16426 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
16433 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
16434 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
16436 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
16437 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
16438 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
16439 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
16441 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
16445 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
16448 is transformed into
16451 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
16454 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
16455 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
16458 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
16461 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
16462 is slightly tricky:
16465 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
16471 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
16474 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
16480 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
16487 and is equal to the previous range.
16489 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
16490 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
16491 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
16495 range = simple-range / normal-range
16496 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
16497 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
16498 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
16499 number *[ " " contents ]
16502 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
16503 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
16504 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
16505 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
16506 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
16511 @subsection Group Info
16513 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
16514 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
16515 describes the group.
16517 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
16518 second is a more complex one:
16521 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
16523 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
16524 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
16526 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@gnus.org")))
16529 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
16530 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
16531 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
16532 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
16533 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
16534 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
16535 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
16537 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
16538 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
16539 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
16541 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
16544 info = "(" group space level space read
16545 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
16546 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
16547 group = quote <string> quote
16548 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
16550 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
16551 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
16552 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
16553 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
16556 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
16557 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
16560 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
16561 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
16564 @item gnus-info-group
16565 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
16566 @findex gnus-info-group
16567 @findex gnus-info-set-group
16568 Get/set the group name.
16570 @item gnus-info-rank
16571 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
16572 @findex gnus-info-rank
16573 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
16574 Get/set the group rank.
16576 @item gnus-info-level
16577 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
16578 @findex gnus-info-level
16579 @findex gnus-info-set-level
16580 Get/set the group level.
16582 @item gnus-info-score
16583 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
16584 @findex gnus-info-score
16585 @findex gnus-info-set-score
16586 Get/set the group score.
16588 @item gnus-info-read
16589 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
16590 @findex gnus-info-read
16591 @findex gnus-info-set-read
16592 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
16594 @item gnus-info-marks
16595 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
16596 @findex gnus-info-marks
16597 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
16598 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
16600 @item gnus-info-method
16601 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
16602 @findex gnus-info-method
16603 @findex gnus-info-set-method
16604 Get/set the group select method.
16606 @item gnus-info-params
16607 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
16608 @findex gnus-info-params
16609 @findex gnus-info-set-params
16610 Get/set the group parameters.
16613 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
16614 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
16616 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
16617 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
16618 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
16619 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
16622 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
16623 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
16627 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
16628 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
16629 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
16631 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
16632 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
16633 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
16634 Gnus, that's very useful.
16636 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
16637 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
16638 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
16639 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
16640 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
16641 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
16642 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
16643 following function:
16646 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
16650 (,function ,@@args))
16654 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
16655 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
16656 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
16659 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
16660 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
16661 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
16663 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
16664 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
16665 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
16668 @node Various File Formats
16669 @subsection Various File Formats
16672 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
16673 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
16677 @node Active File Format
16678 @subsubsection Active File Format
16680 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
16681 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
16684 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
16687 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
16688 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
16689 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
16690 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
16691 no.general 1000 900 y
16694 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
16697 active = *group-line
16698 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
16699 group = <non-white-space string>
16701 high-number = <non-negative integer>
16702 low-number = <positive integer>
16703 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
16707 @node Newsgroups File Format
16708 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
16710 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
16711 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
16712 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
16715 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
16716 Here's the definition:
16720 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
16721 group = <non-white-space string>
16723 description = <string>
16727 @node Emacs for Heathens
16728 @section Emacs for Heathens
16730 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
16731 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
16732 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
16733 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
16734 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
16735 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
16736 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
16740 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
16741 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
16746 @subsection Keystrokes
16750 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
16753 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
16756 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
16757 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
16758 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
16759 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
16760 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
16761 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
16763 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
16764 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
16765 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
16766 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
16767 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
16768 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
16769 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
16771 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
16772 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
16773 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
16774 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
16775 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
16776 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
16777 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
16779 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
16780 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
16781 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
16782 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
16783 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
16789 @subsection Emacs Lisp
16791 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
16792 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
16793 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
16794 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
16796 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
16797 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
16798 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
16799 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
16800 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
16801 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
16802 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
16805 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
16806 write the following:
16809 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
16812 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
16813 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
16814 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
16817 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
16818 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
16819 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
16820 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
16821 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
16823 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
16824 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
16825 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
16829 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
16833 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
16836 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
16837 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
16840 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
16843 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
16844 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
16847 @include gnus-faq.texi