10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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284 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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293 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
295 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
299 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
300 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
301 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
302 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
303 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
304 License'' in the Emacs manual.
306 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
307 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
308 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
310 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
311 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
312 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
313 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
321 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
323 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
324 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
326 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
327 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
328 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
329 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
330 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
331 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
332 License'' in the Emacs manual.
334 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
335 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
336 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
338 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
339 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
340 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
341 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
349 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
352 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
355 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
357 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
358 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
359 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
360 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
361 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
362 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
363 License'' in the Emacs manual.
365 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
366 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
367 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
369 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
370 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
371 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
372 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
381 @top The Gnus Newsreader
385 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
386 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
387 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
390 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.18.
401 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
402 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
404 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
405 being accused of plagiarism:
407 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
408 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
409 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
410 can even read news with it!
412 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
413 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
414 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
415 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
416 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
422 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
423 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
424 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
425 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
426 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
427 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
428 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
429 * Various:: General purpose settings.
430 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
431 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
432 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
433 * Key Index:: Key Index.
435 Other related manuals
437 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
438 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
439 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
440 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
443 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
447 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
448 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
449 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
450 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
451 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
452 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
453 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
454 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
455 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
456 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
457 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
461 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
462 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
463 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
467 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
468 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
469 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
470 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
471 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
472 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
473 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
474 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
475 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
476 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
477 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
478 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
479 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
480 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
481 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
482 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
483 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
487 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
488 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
489 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
493 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
494 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
495 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
496 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
497 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
501 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
502 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
503 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
504 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
505 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
509 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
510 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
511 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
512 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
513 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
514 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
515 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
516 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
517 * Threading:: How threads are made.
518 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
519 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
520 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
521 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
522 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
523 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
524 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
525 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
526 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
527 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
528 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
529 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
530 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
531 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
532 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
533 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
534 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
535 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
536 or reselecting the current group.
537 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
538 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
539 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
540 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
542 Summary Buffer Format
544 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
545 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
546 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
547 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
551 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
552 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
554 Reply, Followup and Post
556 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
557 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
558 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
559 * Canceling and Superseding::
563 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
564 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
565 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
567 * Generic Marking Commands::
568 * Setting Process Marks::
572 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
573 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
574 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
578 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
579 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
581 Customizing Threading
583 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
584 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
585 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
586 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
590 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
591 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
592 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
593 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
594 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
595 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
599 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
600 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
601 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
605 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
606 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
607 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
608 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
609 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
610 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
611 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
612 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
613 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
614 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
615 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
617 Alternative Approaches
619 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
620 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
622 Various Summary Stuff
624 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
625 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
626 * Summary Generation Commands::
627 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
631 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
632 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
633 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
634 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
635 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
639 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
640 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
641 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
642 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
643 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
644 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
645 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
646 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
650 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
651 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
652 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
653 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
654 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
655 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
656 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
657 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
661 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
662 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
663 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
664 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
665 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
666 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
667 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
671 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
672 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
676 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
677 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
678 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
682 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
683 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
684 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
685 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
686 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
687 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
688 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
689 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
690 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
691 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
692 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
693 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
694 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
698 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
699 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
700 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
702 Choosing a Mail Back End
704 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
705 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
706 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
707 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
708 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
709 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
710 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
715 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
716 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
717 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
718 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
719 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
720 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
724 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
725 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
726 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
727 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
728 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
732 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
733 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
734 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
735 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
736 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
740 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
744 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
745 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
746 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
750 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
751 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
755 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
756 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
757 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
758 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
759 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
760 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
761 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
762 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
763 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
764 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
765 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
766 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
770 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
771 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
772 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
776 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
777 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
778 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
782 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
783 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
784 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
785 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
786 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
787 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
788 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
789 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
790 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
791 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
792 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
793 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
794 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
795 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
796 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
797 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
798 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
802 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
803 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
804 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
805 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
809 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
810 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
811 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
815 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
816 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
817 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
818 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
819 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
820 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
821 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
822 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
823 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
824 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
825 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
826 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
827 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
828 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
829 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
830 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
831 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
832 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
833 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
837 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
838 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
839 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
840 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
841 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
842 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
843 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
844 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
848 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
849 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
850 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
851 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
855 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
856 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
857 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
858 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
859 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
860 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
864 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
865 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
866 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
867 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
868 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
869 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
870 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
871 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
872 * Frequently Asked Questions::
876 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
877 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
878 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
879 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
880 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
881 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
882 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
883 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
884 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
888 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
889 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
890 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
891 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
892 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
896 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
897 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
898 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
899 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
903 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
904 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
905 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
906 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
907 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
908 * Group Info:: The group info format.
909 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
910 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
911 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
915 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
916 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
917 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
918 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
919 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
920 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
924 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
925 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
929 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
930 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
936 @chapter Starting Gnus
941 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
942 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
945 @findex gnus-other-frame
946 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
947 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
948 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
950 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
951 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
952 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
954 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
955 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
958 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
959 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
960 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
961 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
962 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
963 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
964 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
965 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
966 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
967 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
968 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
972 @node Finding the News
973 @section Finding the News
976 @vindex gnus-select-method
978 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
979 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
980 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
981 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
984 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
985 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
988 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
991 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
994 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
997 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
998 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
999 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1001 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1003 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1004 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1005 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1006 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1007 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1008 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1010 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1011 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1012 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1013 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1015 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1016 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1017 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1018 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1019 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1020 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1021 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1022 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1023 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1026 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1028 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1029 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1030 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1031 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1032 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1033 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1035 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1037 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1038 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1039 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1040 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1041 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1042 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1045 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1046 you would typically set this variable to
1049 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1053 @node The First Time
1054 @section The First Time
1055 @cindex first time usage
1057 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1058 be subscribed by default.
1060 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1061 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1062 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1063 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1066 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1067 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1068 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1070 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1071 help you with most common problems.
1073 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1074 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1078 @node The Server is Down
1079 @section The Server is Down
1080 @cindex server errors
1082 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1083 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1084 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1086 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1087 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1088 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1089 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1090 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1091 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1092 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1094 @findex gnus-no-server
1095 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1097 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1098 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1099 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1100 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1101 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1102 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1103 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1107 @section Slave Gnusae
1110 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1111 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1112 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1113 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1115 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1116 @file{.newsrc} file.
1118 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1119 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1120 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1121 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1122 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1123 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1124 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1127 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1128 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1129 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1130 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1131 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1132 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1133 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1134 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1136 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1137 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1139 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1140 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1141 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1142 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1143 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1145 @node Fetching a Group
1146 @section Fetching a Group
1147 @cindex fetching a group
1149 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1150 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1151 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1152 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1153 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1154 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1160 @cindex subscription
1162 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1163 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1164 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1165 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1166 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1167 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1168 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1169 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1170 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1173 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1174 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1175 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1179 @node Checking New Groups
1180 @subsection Checking New Groups
1182 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1183 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1184 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1185 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1186 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1187 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1188 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1189 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1190 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1191 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1193 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1194 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1195 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1196 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1197 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1198 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1199 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1200 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1201 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1202 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1203 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1205 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1206 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1207 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1208 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1209 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1210 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1213 @node Subscription Methods
1214 @subsection Subscription Methods
1216 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1217 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1218 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1220 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1221 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1223 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1227 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1228 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1229 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1230 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1231 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1233 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1235 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1236 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1238 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1239 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1240 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1242 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1243 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1244 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1245 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1246 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1247 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1248 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1249 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1250 up. Or something like that.
1252 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1253 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1254 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1255 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1256 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1258 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1259 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1260 Kill all new groups.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1264 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1265 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1266 topic parameter that looks like
1272 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1275 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1280 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1281 A closely related variable is
1282 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1283 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1284 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1285 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1288 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1289 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1290 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1291 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1294 @node Filtering New Groups
1295 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1297 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1298 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1299 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1302 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1305 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1306 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1307 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1308 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1309 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1310 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1311 subscribing these groups.
1312 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1313 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1315 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1316 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1317 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1318 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1319 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1320 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1321 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1322 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1324 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1325 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1326 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1327 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1328 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1329 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1330 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1331 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1332 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1333 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1336 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1337 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1340 @node Changing Servers
1341 @section Changing Servers
1342 @cindex changing servers
1344 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1345 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1346 very flaky and you want to use another.
1348 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1349 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1353 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1354 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1355 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1356 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1359 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1360 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1361 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1362 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1364 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1365 @findex gnus-change-server
1366 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1367 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1368 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1369 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1370 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1372 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1373 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1374 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1375 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1376 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1378 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1379 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1380 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1381 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1382 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1383 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1385 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1386 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1387 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1388 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1390 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1391 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1392 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1393 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1394 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1395 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1396 cache for all groups).
1400 @section Startup Files
1401 @cindex startup files
1406 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1407 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1409 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1410 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1411 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1412 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1413 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1414 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1415 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1417 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1418 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1419 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1420 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1421 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1422 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1424 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1425 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1426 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1427 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1428 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1429 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1430 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1431 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1432 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1433 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1435 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1436 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1437 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1438 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1439 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1440 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1441 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1442 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1443 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1444 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1445 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1446 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1448 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1449 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1450 @vindex version-control
1451 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1452 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1453 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1454 If you want version control for this file, set
1455 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1456 @code{version-control} variable.
1458 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1459 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1460 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1461 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1462 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1463 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1464 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1465 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1466 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1467 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1470 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1471 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1473 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1474 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1477 @vindex gnus-init-file
1478 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1479 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1480 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1481 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1482 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1483 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1484 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1485 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1486 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1487 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1493 @cindex dribble file
1496 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1497 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1498 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1499 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1500 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1503 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1504 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1507 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1508 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1509 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1511 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1512 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1513 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1514 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1515 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1516 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1518 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1519 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1520 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1523 @node The Active File
1524 @section The Active File
1526 @cindex ignored groups
1528 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1529 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1530 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1532 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1533 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1534 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1535 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1536 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1537 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1538 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1541 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1542 @c if you set it to anything else.
1544 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1546 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1547 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1548 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1550 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1551 you actually subscribe to.
1553 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1554 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1555 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1556 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1558 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1559 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1560 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1561 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1562 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1563 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1565 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1566 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1567 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1570 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1571 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1572 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1573 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1574 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1575 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1577 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1578 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1580 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1581 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1583 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1584 secondary select methods.
1587 @node Startup Variables
1588 @section Startup Variables
1592 @item gnus-load-hook
1593 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1594 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1595 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1596 times you start Gnus.
1598 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1599 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1600 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1602 @item gnus-startup-hook
1603 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1604 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1606 @item gnus-started-hook
1607 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1608 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1611 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1612 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1613 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1614 generating the group buffer.
1616 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1617 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1618 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1619 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1620 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1621 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1622 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1623 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1625 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1626 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1627 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1628 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1629 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1630 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1632 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1633 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1634 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1636 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1637 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1638 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1640 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1641 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1642 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1643 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1649 @chapter Group Buffer
1650 @cindex group buffer
1652 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1654 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1655 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1656 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1657 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1658 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1659 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1660 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1661 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1662 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1663 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1664 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1665 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1666 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1667 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1668 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1669 @c human rights at 9...
1672 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1673 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1674 long as Gnus is active.
1678 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1679 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1680 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1681 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1682 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1683 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1684 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1685 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1691 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1692 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1693 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1694 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1695 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1696 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1697 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1698 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1699 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1700 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1701 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1702 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1703 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1704 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1705 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1706 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1707 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1711 @node Group Buffer Format
1712 @section Group Buffer Format
1715 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1716 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1717 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1721 @node Group Line Specification
1722 @subsection Group Line Specification
1723 @cindex group buffer format
1725 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1726 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1728 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1731 25: news.announce.newusers
1732 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1737 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1738 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1739 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1740 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1742 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1743 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1744 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1745 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1746 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1747 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1749 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1751 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1752 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1753 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1754 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1755 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1757 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1758 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1759 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1761 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1766 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1769 Whether the group is subscribed.
1772 Level of subscribedness.
1775 Number of unread articles.
1778 Number of dormant articles.
1781 Number of ticked articles.
1784 Number of read articles.
1787 Number of unseen articles.
1790 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1791 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1793 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1794 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1795 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1796 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1797 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1798 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1799 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1800 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1803 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1806 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1815 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1816 comment element in the group parameters.
1819 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1820 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1821 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1825 @samp{m} if moderated.
1828 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1834 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1840 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1844 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1847 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1848 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1849 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1850 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1851 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1854 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1856 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1860 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1863 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1867 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1868 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1869 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1870 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1871 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1872 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1877 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1878 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1879 group, or a bogus native group.
1882 @node Group Modeline Specification
1883 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1884 @cindex group modeline
1886 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1887 The mode line can be changed by setting
1888 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1889 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1893 The native news server.
1895 The native select method.
1899 @node Group Highlighting
1900 @subsection Group Highlighting
1901 @cindex highlighting
1902 @cindex group highlighting
1904 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1905 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1906 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1907 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1908 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1910 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1914 (cond (window-system
1915 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1916 (defface my-group-face-1
1917 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1918 (defface my-group-face-2
1919 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1920 (defface my-group-face-3
1921 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1922 (defface my-group-face-4
1923 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1924 (defface my-group-face-5
1925 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1927 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1928 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1929 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1930 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1931 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1932 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1935 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1937 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1944 The number of unread articles in the group.
1948 Whether the group is a mail group.
1950 The level of the group.
1952 The score of the group.
1954 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1956 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1957 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1959 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1960 topic being inserted.
1963 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1964 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1965 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1967 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1968 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1969 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1970 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1971 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1974 @node Group Maneuvering
1975 @section Group Maneuvering
1976 @cindex group movement
1978 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1979 expected, hopefully.
1985 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1986 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1987 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1993 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1994 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1995 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1999 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2000 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2004 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2005 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2009 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2010 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2011 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2015 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2016 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2017 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2020 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2026 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2027 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2028 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2033 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2034 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2035 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2039 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2040 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2041 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2044 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2045 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2046 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2047 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2051 @node Selecting a Group
2052 @section Selecting a Group
2053 @cindex group selection
2058 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2059 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2060 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2061 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2062 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2063 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2064 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2065 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2066 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2067 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2069 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2070 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2071 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2073 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2074 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2079 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2080 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2081 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2082 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2083 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2087 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2088 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2089 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2090 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2091 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2092 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2093 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2094 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2095 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2096 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2099 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2100 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2101 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2102 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2103 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2106 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2107 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2108 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2109 doing any processing of its contents
2110 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2111 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2112 manner will have no permanent effects.
2116 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2117 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2118 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2119 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2120 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2121 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2122 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2123 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2126 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2127 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2128 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2129 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2130 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2131 Which article this is is controlled by the
2132 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2138 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2141 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2144 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2146 @item unseen-or-unread
2147 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2148 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2152 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2156 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2157 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2159 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2160 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2161 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2162 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2166 @node Subscription Commands
2167 @section Subscription Commands
2168 @cindex subscription
2176 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2177 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2178 Toggle subscription to the current group
2179 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2185 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2186 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2187 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2188 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2194 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2195 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2196 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2202 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2203 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2206 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2207 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2208 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2209 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2210 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2216 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2217 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2221 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2222 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2225 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2226 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2227 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2228 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2229 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2230 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2231 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2232 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2233 @file{.newsrc} file.
2237 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2247 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2248 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2249 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2250 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2251 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2252 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2257 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2258 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2259 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2263 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2264 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2265 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2267 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2268 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2269 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2270 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2271 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2272 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2279 @section Group Levels
2283 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2284 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2285 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2286 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2287 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2289 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2295 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2296 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2297 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2298 prompted for a level.
2301 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2302 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2303 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2304 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2305 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2306 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2307 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2308 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2309 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2310 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2311 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2312 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2313 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2314 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2315 reasons of efficiency.
2317 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2318 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2320 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2321 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2322 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2323 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2324 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2325 groups are hidden, in a way.
2327 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2328 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2329 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2330 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2331 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2332 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2334 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2335 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2336 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2337 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2338 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2339 list of killed groups.)
2341 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2342 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2343 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2345 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2346 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2347 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2348 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2349 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2350 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2351 relevant valid ranges.
2353 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2354 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2355 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2356 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2357 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2358 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2361 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2362 one with the best level.
2364 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2365 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2366 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2369 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2370 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2371 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2372 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2375 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2376 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2377 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2378 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2380 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2381 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2382 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2383 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2384 to 5. The default is 6.
2388 @section Group Score
2393 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2394 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2395 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2398 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2399 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2400 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2401 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2402 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2403 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2404 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2405 least significant part.))
2407 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2408 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2409 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2410 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2411 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2412 action after each summary exit, you can add
2413 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2414 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2415 slow things down somewhat.
2418 @node Marking Groups
2419 @section Marking Groups
2420 @cindex marking groups
2422 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2423 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2424 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2425 bidding on those groups.
2427 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2428 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2429 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2437 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2438 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2444 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2445 Remove the mark from the current group
2446 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2450 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2451 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2455 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2456 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2460 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2461 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2465 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2466 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2467 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2470 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2472 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2473 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2474 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2475 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2476 the command to be executed.
2479 @node Foreign Groups
2480 @section Foreign Groups
2481 @cindex foreign groups
2483 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2484 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2485 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2486 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2493 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2494 @cindex making groups
2495 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2496 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2497 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2501 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2502 @cindex renaming groups
2503 Rename the current group to something else
2504 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2505 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2511 @findex gnus-group-customize
2512 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2517 @cindex renaming groups
2518 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2519 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2523 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2524 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2525 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2529 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2530 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2531 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2535 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2537 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2538 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2543 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2544 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2548 @cindex (ding) archive
2549 @cindex archive group
2550 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2551 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2552 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2553 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2554 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2555 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2556 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2560 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2562 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2563 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2564 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2565 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2569 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2571 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2572 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2573 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2577 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2578 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2580 Make a group based on some file or other
2581 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2582 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2583 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2584 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2585 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2586 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2587 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2588 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2589 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2593 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2594 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2595 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2596 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2600 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2604 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2605 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2606 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2607 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2608 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2609 @xref{Web Searches}.
2611 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2612 to a particular group by using a match string like
2613 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2616 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2617 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2618 This function will delete the current group
2619 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2620 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2621 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2622 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2623 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2627 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2628 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2629 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2633 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2634 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2635 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2638 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2641 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2642 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2643 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2644 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2645 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2646 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2650 @node Group Parameters
2651 @section Group Parameters
2652 @cindex group parameters
2654 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2655 Here's an example group parameter list:
2658 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2662 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2663 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2664 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2665 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2667 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2668 is an alist of regexps and values.
2670 The following group parameters can be used:
2675 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2678 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2681 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2682 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2683 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2684 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2685 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2687 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2688 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2689 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2690 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2691 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2692 list address instead.
2694 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2698 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2701 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2704 It is totally ignored
2705 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2706 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2708 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2709 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2710 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2711 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2712 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2714 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2715 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2716 sending the message.
2718 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2719 @cindex Mail List Groups
2720 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2721 entering summary buffer.
2723 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2728 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2729 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2730 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2731 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2732 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{Mailing
2733 Lists, , Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual} for a complete
2734 treatment of available MFT support.
2736 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2737 directly uses this group parameter.
2741 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2742 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2743 of whether it has any unread articles.
2745 @item broken-reply-to
2746 @cindex broken-reply-to
2747 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2748 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2749 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2750 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2751 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2752 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2756 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2757 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2761 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2762 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2763 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2768 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2769 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2770 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2771 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2772 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2773 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2774 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2775 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2776 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2780 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2781 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2782 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2784 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2787 @cindex total-expire
2788 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2789 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2790 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2791 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2794 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2798 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2799 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2800 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2801 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2802 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2803 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2804 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2807 @cindex score file group parameter
2808 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2809 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2810 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2813 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2814 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2815 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2816 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2819 @cindex admin-address
2820 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2821 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2822 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2823 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2827 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2828 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2832 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2835 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2836 entering the group with C-u @var{integer}.
2839 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2843 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2845 Here are some examples:
2849 Display only unread articles.
2852 Display everything except expirable articles.
2854 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2855 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2859 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2860 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2861 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2862 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2863 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2867 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2868 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2869 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2873 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2874 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2875 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2879 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2880 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2881 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2883 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2885 @item ignored-charsets
2886 @cindex ignored-charset
2887 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2888 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2889 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2891 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2894 @cindex posting-style
2895 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2896 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2897 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2898 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2899 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2901 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2902 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2903 like this in the group parameters:
2908 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2909 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2914 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2915 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2919 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2920 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2921 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2922 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2923 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2927 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2928 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2929 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2930 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2932 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2933 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2934 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2935 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2938 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2939 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2943 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2946 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2947 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2948 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2949 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2950 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2951 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2952 @code{eval}ed there.
2954 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
2955 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
2956 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
2957 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
2958 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
2959 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
2960 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
2961 @file{~/.gnus} file:
2963 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
2966 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2967 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2968 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2969 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2970 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2971 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2972 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2973 parameters for the group.
2975 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2976 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2977 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2978 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2979 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2983 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2984 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2985 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2986 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2987 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2989 @vindex gnus-parameters
2990 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2991 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2995 (setq gnus-parameters
2997 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2998 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2999 (gnus-summary-line-format
3000 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3004 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3008 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3012 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3015 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3016 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3019 @node Listing Groups
3020 @section Listing Groups
3021 @cindex group listing
3023 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3031 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3032 List all groups that have unread articles
3033 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3034 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3035 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3036 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3043 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3044 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3045 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3046 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3047 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3048 unsubscribed groups).
3052 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3053 List all unread groups on a specific level
3054 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3055 with no unread articles.
3059 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3060 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3061 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3062 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3067 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3068 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3072 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3073 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3074 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3078 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3079 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3083 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3084 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3085 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3086 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3087 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3088 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3089 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3090 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3094 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3095 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3096 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3100 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3101 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3102 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3106 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3107 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3111 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3112 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3116 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3117 List groups limited within the current selection
3118 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3122 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3123 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3127 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3128 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3132 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3133 @cindex visible group parameter
3134 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3135 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3136 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3137 get the same effect.
3139 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3140 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3141 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3142 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3143 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3146 @node Sorting Groups
3147 @section Sorting Groups
3148 @cindex sorting groups
3150 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3151 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3152 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3153 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3154 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3155 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3160 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3161 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3162 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3164 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3165 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3166 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3168 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3169 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3170 Sort by group level.
3172 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3173 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3174 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3176 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3177 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3178 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3179 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3181 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3182 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3183 Sort by number of unread articles.
3185 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3186 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3187 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3189 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3190 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3191 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3196 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3197 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3201 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3202 some sorting criteria:
3206 @kindex G S a (Group)
3207 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3208 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3209 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3212 @kindex G S u (Group)
3213 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3214 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3215 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3218 @kindex G S l (Group)
3219 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3220 Sort the group buffer by group level
3221 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3224 @kindex G S v (Group)
3225 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3226 Sort the group buffer by group score
3227 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3230 @kindex G S r (Group)
3231 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3232 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3233 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3236 @kindex G S m (Group)
3237 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3238 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3239 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3242 @kindex G S n (Group)
3243 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3244 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3245 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3249 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3250 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3252 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3253 commands will sort in reverse order.
3255 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3259 @kindex G P a (Group)
3260 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3261 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3262 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3265 @kindex G P u (Group)
3266 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3267 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3268 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3271 @kindex G P l (Group)
3272 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3273 Sort the groups by group level
3274 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3277 @kindex G P v (Group)
3278 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3279 Sort the groups by group score
3280 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3283 @kindex G P r (Group)
3284 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3285 Sort the groups by group rank
3286 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3289 @kindex G P m (Group)
3290 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3291 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3292 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3295 @kindex G P n (Group)
3296 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3297 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3298 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3301 @kindex G P s (Group)
3302 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3303 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3307 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3311 @node Group Maintenance
3312 @section Group Maintenance
3313 @cindex bogus groups
3318 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3319 Find bogus groups and delete them
3320 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3324 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3325 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3326 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3327 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3328 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3332 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3333 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3334 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3335 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3336 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3337 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3340 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3341 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3342 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3343 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3348 @node Browse Foreign Server
3349 @section Browse Foreign Server
3350 @cindex foreign servers
3351 @cindex browsing servers
3356 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3357 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3358 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3359 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3362 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3363 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3364 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3365 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3367 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3372 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3373 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3377 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3378 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3381 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3382 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3383 Enter the current group and display the first article
3384 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3387 @kindex RET (Browse)
3388 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3389 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3393 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3394 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3395 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3401 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3402 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3406 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3407 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3411 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3412 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3413 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3418 @section Exiting Gnus
3419 @cindex exiting Gnus
3421 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3426 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3427 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3428 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3429 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3433 @findex gnus-group-exit
3434 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3435 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3439 @findex gnus-group-quit
3440 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3441 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3444 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3445 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3446 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3447 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3448 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3449 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3455 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3456 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3457 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3463 @section Group Topics
3466 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3467 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3468 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3469 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3470 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3471 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3475 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3476 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3487 2: alt.religion.emacs
3490 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3492 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3493 13: comp.sources.unix
3496 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3498 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3499 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3500 is a toggling command.)
3502 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3503 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3504 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3505 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3508 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3509 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3510 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3513 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3517 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3518 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3519 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3520 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3521 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3525 @node Topic Commands
3526 @subsection Topic Commands
3527 @cindex topic commands
3529 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3530 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3531 definitions slightly.
3533 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3534 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3535 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3536 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3537 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3538 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3540 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3547 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3548 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3549 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3553 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3555 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3556 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3557 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3558 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3561 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3562 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3563 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3564 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3568 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3569 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3570 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3571 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3577 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3578 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3579 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3583 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3584 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3585 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3588 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3589 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3590 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3591 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3592 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3594 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3595 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3599 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3600 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3607 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3609 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3610 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3611 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3612 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3613 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3614 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3618 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3624 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3625 Move the current group to some other topic
3626 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3627 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3631 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3632 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3636 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3637 Copy the current group to some other topic
3638 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3639 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3643 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3644 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3645 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3649 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3650 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3651 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3655 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3656 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3657 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3658 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3659 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3660 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3661 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3664 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3665 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3669 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3670 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3671 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3675 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3676 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3677 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3681 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3682 Toggle hiding empty topics
3683 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3687 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3688 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3689 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3690 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3693 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3694 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3695 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3696 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3697 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3700 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3701 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3702 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3703 expiry process (if any)
3704 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3708 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3709 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3712 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3713 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3714 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3718 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3719 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3720 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3723 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3724 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3725 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3728 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3729 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3730 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3734 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3735 @cindex group parameters
3736 @cindex topic parameters
3738 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3739 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3744 @node Topic Variables
3745 @subsection Topic Variables
3746 @cindex topic variables
3748 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3749 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3751 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3752 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3753 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3766 Number of groups in the topic.
3768 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3770 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3773 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3774 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3775 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3778 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3779 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3781 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3782 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3783 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3787 @subsection Topic Sorting
3788 @cindex topic sorting
3790 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3796 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3797 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3798 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3799 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3802 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3803 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3804 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3805 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3808 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3809 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3810 Sort the current topic by group level
3811 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3814 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3815 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3816 Sort the current topic by group score
3817 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3820 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3821 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3822 Sort the current topic by group rank
3823 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3826 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3827 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3828 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3829 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3832 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3833 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3834 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3835 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3839 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3840 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3841 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3842 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3846 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3847 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3851 @node Topic Topology
3852 @subsection Topic Topology
3853 @cindex topic topology
3856 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3862 2: alt.religion.emacs
3865 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3867 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3868 13: comp.sources.unix
3871 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3872 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3873 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3878 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3879 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3883 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3884 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3885 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3886 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3887 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3888 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3890 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3891 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3892 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3895 @node Topic Parameters
3896 @subsection Topic Parameters
3897 @cindex topic parameters
3899 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3900 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3901 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3903 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3908 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3909 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3910 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3913 @item subscribe-level
3914 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3915 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3916 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3920 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3921 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3922 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3923 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3929 2: alt.religion.emacs
3933 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3935 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3936 13: comp.sources.unix
3940 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3941 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3942 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3943 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3944 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3945 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3947 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3948 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3949 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3950 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3951 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3953 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3954 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3955 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3956 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3957 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3958 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3959 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3960 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3963 @node Misc Group Stuff
3964 @section Misc Group Stuff
3967 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3968 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3969 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3970 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3971 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3978 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3979 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3980 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3984 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3985 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3986 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3987 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3988 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3989 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3990 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3994 @findex gnus-group-mail
3995 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3996 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3997 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3998 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4002 @findex gnus-group-news
4003 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4004 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4005 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4007 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4008 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4009 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4010 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4011 for this to work though.
4015 Variables for the group buffer:
4019 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4020 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4021 is called after the group buffer has been
4024 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4025 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4026 is called after the group buffer is
4027 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4030 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4031 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4032 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4033 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4035 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4036 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4037 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4038 whether they are empty or not.
4040 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4041 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4042 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4043 non-ASCII group names.
4047 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4048 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4051 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4052 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4053 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4054 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4055 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4056 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
4061 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4062 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4067 @node Scanning New Messages
4068 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4069 @cindex new messages
4070 @cindex scanning new news
4076 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4077 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4078 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4079 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4080 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4081 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4086 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4087 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4088 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4089 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4090 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4091 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4092 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4094 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4095 @cindex activating groups
4097 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4098 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4103 @findex gnus-group-restart
4104 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4105 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4106 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4110 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4111 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4113 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4114 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4118 @node Group Information
4119 @subsection Group Information
4120 @cindex group information
4121 @cindex information on groups
4128 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4129 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4132 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4133 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4134 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4135 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4136 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4137 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4138 for fetching the file.
4140 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4141 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4145 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4146 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4148 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4149 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4152 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4153 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4154 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4158 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4159 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4160 @cindex control message
4161 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4162 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4163 group if given a prefix argument.
4165 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4166 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4167 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4168 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4170 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4171 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4172 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4176 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4178 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4179 @cindex describing groups
4180 @cindex group description
4181 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4182 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4183 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4187 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4188 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4189 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4196 @findex gnus-version
4197 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4201 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4202 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4205 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4208 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4209 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4213 @node Group Timestamp
4214 @subsection Group Timestamp
4216 @cindex group timestamps
4218 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4219 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4220 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4223 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4226 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4228 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4229 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4232 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4233 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4236 This will result in lines looking like:
4239 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4240 0: custom 19961002T012713
4243 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4244 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4248 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4249 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4252 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4253 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4257 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4258 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4259 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4260 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4262 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4268 @subsection File Commands
4269 @cindex file commands
4275 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4276 @vindex gnus-init-file
4277 @cindex reading init file
4278 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4279 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4283 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4284 @cindex saving .newsrc
4285 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4286 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4287 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4290 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4291 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4292 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4297 @node Sieve Commands
4298 @subsection Sieve Commands
4299 @cindex group sieve commands
4301 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4302 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4303 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4304 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4305 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4307 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4308 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4309 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4310 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4311 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4312 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4313 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4314 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4315 regenerate the Sieve script.
4317 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4318 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4319 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4320 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4321 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4322 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4323 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4324 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4325 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4326 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4329 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4330 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4335 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4341 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4342 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4343 @cindex generating sieve script
4344 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4345 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4349 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4350 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4351 @cindex updating sieve script
4352 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4353 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4354 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4359 @node Summary Buffer
4360 @chapter Summary Buffer
4361 @cindex summary buffer
4363 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4364 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4366 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4367 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4369 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4372 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4373 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4374 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4375 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4376 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4377 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4378 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4379 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4380 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4381 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4382 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4383 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4384 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4385 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4386 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4387 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4388 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4389 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4390 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4391 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4392 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4393 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4394 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4395 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4396 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4397 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4398 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4399 or reselecting the current group.
4400 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4401 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4402 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4403 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4407 @node Summary Buffer Format
4408 @section Summary Buffer Format
4409 @cindex summary buffer format
4413 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4414 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4415 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4421 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4422 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4423 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4424 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4427 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4428 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4429 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4430 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4431 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4432 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4433 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4434 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4435 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4436 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4437 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4440 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4441 'mail-extract-address-components)
4444 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4445 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4446 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4447 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4450 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4451 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4453 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4454 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4455 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4456 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4457 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4459 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4460 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4461 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4462 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4463 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4464 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4466 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4468 The following format specification characters and extended format
4469 specification(s) are understood:
4475 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4476 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4478 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4479 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4480 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4482 Full @code{From} header.
4484 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4486 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4489 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4490 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4491 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4492 may be more thorough.
4494 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4497 Number of lines in the article.
4499 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4500 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4502 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4503 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4505 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4507 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4508 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4521 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4522 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4523 replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
4526 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4527 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4528 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4529 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4531 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4532 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4533 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4534 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4536 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4537 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4538 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4539 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4541 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4542 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4543 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4545 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4546 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4547 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4549 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4550 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4551 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4553 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4554 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4555 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4560 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4561 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4563 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4564 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4566 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4567 for adopted articles.
4569 One space for each thread level.
4571 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4573 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4576 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4577 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4578 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4581 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4583 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4584 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4585 default level. If the difference between
4586 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4587 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4595 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4597 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4603 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4604 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4606 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4607 article has any children.
4613 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4614 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4616 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4617 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4618 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4619 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4620 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4621 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4624 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4625 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4626 There can only be one such area.
4628 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4629 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4630 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4631 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4632 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4633 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4635 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4636 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4638 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4641 @node To From Newsgroups
4642 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4646 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4647 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4648 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4649 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4650 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4654 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4655 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4656 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4660 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4661 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4664 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4665 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4668 @findex gnus-extra-header
4669 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4670 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4671 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4674 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4678 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4679 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4680 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4681 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4682 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4683 headers are used instead.
4687 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4688 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4689 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files.
4690 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4691 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4692 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4695 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4696 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4697 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4698 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4700 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4704 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4706 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4707 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4708 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4709 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4713 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4716 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4717 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4720 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4721 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4722 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4728 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4729 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4732 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4733 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4735 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4736 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4737 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4738 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4740 Here are the elements you can play with:
4746 Unprefixed group name.
4748 Current article number.
4750 Current article score.
4754 Number of unread articles in this group.
4756 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4759 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4760 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4761 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4762 and no unselected ones.
4764 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4765 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4767 Subject of the current article.
4769 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4771 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4773 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4775 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4777 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4779 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4783 @node Summary Highlighting
4784 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4788 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4789 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4790 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4791 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4792 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4794 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4795 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4796 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4797 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4799 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4800 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4801 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4802 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4804 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4805 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4806 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4807 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4808 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4809 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4812 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4813 ((> score default) . bold))
4815 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4816 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4820 @node Summary Maneuvering
4821 @section Summary Maneuvering
4822 @cindex summary movement
4824 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4825 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4827 None of these commands select articles.
4832 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4833 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4834 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4835 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4836 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4840 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4841 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4842 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4843 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4844 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4847 @kindex G g (Summary)
4848 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4849 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4850 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4853 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4854 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4855 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4856 to the group buffer.
4858 Variables related to summary movement:
4862 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4863 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4864 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4865 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4866 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4867 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4868 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4869 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4870 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4871 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4872 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4873 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4874 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4875 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4877 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4878 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4879 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4880 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4881 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4882 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4883 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4885 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4887 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4888 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4889 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4890 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4891 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4893 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4894 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4895 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4896 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4897 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4898 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4899 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4900 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4903 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4904 the given number of lines from the top.
4909 @node Choosing Articles
4910 @section Choosing Articles
4911 @cindex selecting articles
4914 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4915 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4919 @node Choosing Commands
4920 @subsection Choosing Commands
4922 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4923 and they all select and display an article.
4925 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4926 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4930 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4931 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4932 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4933 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4935 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4936 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4937 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4942 @kindex G n (Summary)
4943 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4944 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4945 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4950 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4951 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4952 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4957 @kindex G N (Summary)
4958 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4959 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4964 @kindex G P (Summary)
4965 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4966 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4969 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4970 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4971 Go to the next article with the same subject
4972 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4975 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4976 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4977 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4978 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4982 @kindex G f (Summary)
4984 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4985 Go to the first unread article
4986 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4990 @kindex G b (Summary)
4992 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4993 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4994 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4995 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5000 @kindex G l (Summary)
5001 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5002 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5005 @kindex G o (Summary)
5006 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5008 @cindex article history
5009 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5010 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5011 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5012 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5013 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5014 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5019 @kindex G j (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5021 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5022 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5027 @node Choosing Variables
5028 @subsection Choosing Variables
5030 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5033 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5034 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5035 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5036 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5037 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5038 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5040 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5041 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5042 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5043 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5044 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5045 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5047 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5048 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5049 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5050 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5051 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5052 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5053 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5054 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5055 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5056 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5057 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5058 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5059 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5060 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5065 @node Paging the Article
5066 @section Scrolling the Article
5067 @cindex article scrolling
5072 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5074 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5075 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5076 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5078 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5079 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5080 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5081 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5082 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5083 what is considered uninteresting with
5084 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5085 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5088 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5089 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5090 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5093 @kindex RET (Summary)
5094 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5095 Scroll the current article one line forward
5096 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5099 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5100 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5101 Scroll the current article one line backward
5102 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5106 @kindex A g (Summary)
5108 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5109 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5110 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5111 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5112 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5113 the way it came from the server.
5115 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5116 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5117 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5120 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5125 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5130 @kindex A < (Summary)
5131 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5132 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5133 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5138 @kindex A > (Summary)
5139 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5140 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5144 @kindex A s (Summary)
5146 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5147 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5148 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5152 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5153 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5158 @node Reply Followup and Post
5159 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5162 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5163 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5164 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5165 * Canceling and Superseding::
5169 @node Summary Mail Commands
5170 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5172 @cindex composing mail
5174 Commands for composing a mail message:
5180 @kindex S r (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5183 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5184 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5185 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5186 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5191 @kindex S R (Summary)
5192 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5193 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5194 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5195 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5196 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5199 @kindex S w (Summary)
5200 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5201 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5202 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5203 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5204 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5207 @kindex S W (Summary)
5208 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5209 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5210 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5211 the process/prefix convention.
5214 @kindex S v (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5216 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5217 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5218 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5219 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5220 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5223 @kindex S V (Summary)
5224 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5225 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5226 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5227 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5230 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5232 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5233 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5234 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5235 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5236 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5237 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5240 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5241 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5242 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5243 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5244 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5248 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5249 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5250 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5251 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5252 Forward the current article to some other person
5253 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5254 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5255 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5256 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5257 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5258 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5259 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5260 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5261 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5267 @kindex S m (Summary)
5268 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5269 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5270 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5271 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5272 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5277 @kindex S i (Summary)
5278 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5279 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5280 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5281 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5283 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5284 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5285 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5286 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5287 for this to work though.
5290 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5291 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5292 @cindex bouncing mail
5293 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5294 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5295 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5296 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5297 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5298 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5299 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5300 very well fail, though.
5303 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5304 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5305 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5306 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5307 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5308 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5309 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5310 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5311 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5312 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5314 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5315 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5316 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5317 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5318 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5320 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5321 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5324 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5326 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5327 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5328 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5331 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5332 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5333 @cindex crossposting
5334 @cindex excessive crossposting
5335 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5336 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5338 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5339 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5340 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5341 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5342 command understands the process/prefix convention
5343 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5347 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5348 Manual}, for more information.
5351 @node Summary Post Commands
5352 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5354 @cindex composing news
5356 Commands for posting a news article:
5362 @kindex S p (Summary)
5363 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5364 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5365 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5366 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5367 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5372 @kindex S f (Summary)
5373 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5374 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5375 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5379 @kindex S F (Summary)
5381 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5382 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5383 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5384 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5385 process/prefix convention.
5388 @kindex S n (Summary)
5389 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5390 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5391 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5394 @kindex S N (Summary)
5395 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5396 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5397 message through mail and include the original message
5398 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5399 the process/prefix convention.
5402 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5403 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5404 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5405 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5406 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5407 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5408 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5409 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5410 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5411 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5412 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5413 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5414 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5417 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5418 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5420 @cindex making digests
5421 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5422 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5423 process/prefix convention.
5426 @kindex S u (Summary)
5427 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5428 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5429 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5430 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5433 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5434 Manual}, for more information.
5437 @node Summary Message Commands
5438 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5442 @kindex S y (Summary)
5443 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5444 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5445 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5446 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5447 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5452 @node Canceling and Superseding
5453 @subsection Canceling Articles
5454 @cindex canceling articles
5455 @cindex superseding articles
5457 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5458 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5460 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5462 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5464 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5465 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5466 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5467 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5468 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5469 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5471 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5472 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5475 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5476 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5477 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5479 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5480 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5481 your original article.
5483 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5485 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5486 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5487 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5490 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5491 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5492 have posted almost the same article twice.
5494 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5495 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5496 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5497 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5498 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5499 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5500 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5501 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5502 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5503 canceled/superseded.
5505 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5507 @node Delayed Articles
5508 @section Delayed Articles
5509 @cindex delayed sending
5510 @cindex send delayed
5512 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5513 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5514 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5515 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5518 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5521 @findex gnus-delay-article
5522 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5523 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5524 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5525 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5529 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5530 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5531 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5532 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5535 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5536 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5537 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5540 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5541 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5542 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5543 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5544 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5545 that means a time tomorrow.
5548 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5549 couple of variables:
5552 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5553 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5554 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5555 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5557 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5558 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5559 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5560 formats described above.
5562 @item gnus-delay-group
5563 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5564 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5565 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5566 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5568 @item gnus-delay-header
5569 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5570 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5571 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5572 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5575 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5576 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5577 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5578 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5579 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5581 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5582 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5583 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5584 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5585 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5586 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5587 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5590 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5591 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5592 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5593 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5594 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5595 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5596 argument is ignored.
5598 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5599 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5600 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5604 @node Marking Articles
5605 @section Marking Articles
5606 @cindex article marking
5607 @cindex article ticking
5610 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5612 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5613 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5614 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5616 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5619 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5620 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5621 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5625 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5629 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5630 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5631 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5635 @node Unread Articles
5636 @subsection Unread Articles
5638 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5643 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5644 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5646 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5647 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5648 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5649 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5650 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5651 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5652 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5655 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5656 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5658 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5659 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5660 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5661 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5665 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5666 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5668 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5673 @subsection Read Articles
5674 @cindex expirable mark
5676 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5681 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5682 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5683 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5686 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5687 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5690 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5691 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5692 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5695 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5696 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5699 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5700 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5703 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5704 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5707 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5708 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5711 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5712 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5715 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5716 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5719 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5720 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5724 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5725 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5726 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5730 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5731 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5733 One more special mark, though:
5737 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5738 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5740 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5741 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5742 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5743 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5749 @subsection Other Marks
5750 @cindex process mark
5753 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5759 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5760 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5761 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5762 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5763 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5766 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5767 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5768 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5769 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5772 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5773 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5774 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5777 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5778 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5779 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5782 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5783 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5784 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5785 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5788 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5789 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5790 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5791 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5792 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5793 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5796 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5797 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5798 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5799 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5802 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5803 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5804 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5805 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5806 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5810 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5811 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5812 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5813 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5814 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5815 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5818 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5819 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5820 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5821 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5822 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5823 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5827 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5828 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5829 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5830 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5831 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5834 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5835 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5836 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5837 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5838 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5839 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5843 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5844 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5845 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5847 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5848 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5849 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5853 @subsection Setting Marks
5854 @cindex setting marks
5856 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5861 @kindex M c (Summary)
5862 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5863 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5864 @cindex mark as unread
5865 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5866 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5872 @kindex M t (Summary)
5873 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5874 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5875 @xref{Article Caching}.
5880 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5881 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5882 Mark the current article as dormant
5883 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5887 @kindex M d (Summary)
5889 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5890 Mark the current article as read
5891 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5895 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5896 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5897 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5902 @kindex M k (Summary)
5903 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5904 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5905 and then select the next unread article
5906 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5910 @kindex M K (Summary)
5911 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5912 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5913 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5914 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5917 @kindex M C (Summary)
5918 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5919 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5920 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5923 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5924 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5925 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5926 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5929 @kindex M H (Summary)
5930 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5931 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5932 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5935 @kindex M h (Summary)
5936 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5937 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5938 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5941 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5942 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5943 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5944 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5947 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5948 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5949 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5950 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5954 @kindex M e (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5957 Mark the current article as expirable
5958 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5961 @kindex M b (Summary)
5962 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5963 Set a bookmark in the current article
5964 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5967 @kindex M B (Summary)
5968 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5969 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5970 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5973 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5974 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5975 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5976 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5979 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5980 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5981 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5982 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5985 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5986 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5987 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5988 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5989 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5992 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5993 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5994 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5995 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5996 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5997 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5998 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5999 The default is @code{t}.
6002 @node Generic Marking Commands
6003 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6005 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6006 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6007 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6008 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6009 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6012 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6013 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6016 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6017 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6018 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6019 to list in this manual.
6021 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6022 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6023 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6024 article, you could say something like:
6027 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6028 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6029 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6035 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6036 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6040 @node Setting Process Marks
6041 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6042 @cindex setting process marks
6044 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6045 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6046 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6047 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6048 commands into the cache. For more information,
6049 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6056 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6058 Mark the current article with the process mark
6059 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6060 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6064 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6065 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6066 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6067 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6070 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6071 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6072 Remove the process mark from all articles
6073 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6076 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6077 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6078 Invert the list of process marked articles
6079 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6082 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6084 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6085 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6088 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6090 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6091 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6094 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6095 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6096 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6100 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6101 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6104 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6105 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6106 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6107 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6110 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6111 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6112 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6113 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6116 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6118 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6119 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6122 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6124 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6127 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6128 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6129 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6130 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6133 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6134 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6135 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6138 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6139 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6140 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6141 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6144 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6145 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6146 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6147 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6150 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6151 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6152 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6153 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6156 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6158 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6159 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6163 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6164 set process marks based on article body contents.
6171 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6172 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6173 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6176 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6177 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6178 additional articles.
6184 @kindex / / (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6186 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6187 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6191 @kindex / a (Summary)
6192 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6193 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6194 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6198 @kindex / x (Summary)
6199 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6200 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6201 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6202 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6207 @kindex / u (Summary)
6209 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6210 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6211 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6212 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6213 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6216 @kindex / m (Summary)
6217 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6218 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6219 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6222 @kindex / t (Summary)
6223 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6224 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6225 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6226 articles younger than that number of days.
6229 @kindex / n (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6231 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6232 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6233 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6236 @kindex / w (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6238 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6239 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6243 @kindex / . (Summary)
6244 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6245 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6246 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6249 @kindex / v (Summary)
6250 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6251 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6252 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6255 @kindex / p (Summary)
6256 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6257 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6258 group parameter predicate
6259 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6260 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6264 @kindex M S (Summary)
6265 @kindex / E (Summary)
6266 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6267 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6268 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6271 @kindex / D (Summary)
6272 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6273 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6274 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6277 @kindex / * (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6279 Include all cached articles in the limit
6280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6283 @kindex / d (Summary)
6284 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6285 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6286 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6289 @kindex / M (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6291 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6294 @kindex / T (Summary)
6295 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6296 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6299 @kindex / c (Summary)
6300 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6301 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6302 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6305 @kindex / C (Summary)
6306 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6307 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6308 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6309 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6312 @kindex / N (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6314 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6315 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6318 @kindex / o (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6320 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6321 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6329 @cindex article threading
6331 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6332 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6333 hierarchical fashion.
6335 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6336 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6337 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6338 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6339 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6340 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6341 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6343 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6347 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6350 A tree-like article structure.
6353 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6356 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6357 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6358 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6359 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6360 called loose threads.
6362 @item thread gathering
6363 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6365 @item sparse threads
6366 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6367 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6373 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6374 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6378 @node Customizing Threading
6379 @subsection Customizing Threading
6380 @cindex customizing threading
6383 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6384 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6385 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6386 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6391 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6394 @cindex loose threads
6397 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6398 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6399 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6400 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6401 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6402 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6404 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6405 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6406 There are four possible values:
6410 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6411 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6412 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6413 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6414 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6419 @cindex adopting articles
6424 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6425 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6426 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6427 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6430 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6431 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6432 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6433 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6434 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6435 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6436 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6437 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6438 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6439 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6442 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6443 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6444 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6448 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6449 display them after one another.
6452 Don't gather loose threads.
6455 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6456 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6457 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6458 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6459 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6460 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6461 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6462 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6463 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6464 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6465 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6467 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6468 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6469 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6472 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6473 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6474 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6475 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6476 simplification is used.
6478 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6479 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6480 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6481 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6483 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6485 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6491 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6492 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6493 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6494 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6499 (mapconcat 'identity
6500 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6502 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6505 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6508 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6509 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6510 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6511 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6512 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6513 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6515 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6518 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6519 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6520 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6522 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6523 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6526 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6527 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6528 Remove excessive whitespace.
6530 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6531 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6532 Remove all whitespace.
6535 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6538 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6539 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6540 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6541 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6542 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6543 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6544 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6545 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6547 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6548 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6549 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6550 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6551 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6552 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6553 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6554 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6555 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6559 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6560 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6561 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6562 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6564 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6565 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6566 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6569 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6573 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6574 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6580 @node Filling In Threads
6581 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6584 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6585 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6586 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6587 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6588 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6589 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6590 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6591 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6592 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6593 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6594 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6595 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6598 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6599 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6600 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6602 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6603 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6604 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6605 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6606 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6607 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6608 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6609 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6610 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6611 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6612 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6613 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6614 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6615 @code{nil} by default.
6617 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6618 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6619 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6620 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6621 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6622 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6623 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6625 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6626 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6627 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6632 @node More Threading
6633 @subsubsection More Threading
6636 @item gnus-show-threads
6637 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6638 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6639 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6640 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6641 slower and more awkward.
6643 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6644 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6645 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6648 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6649 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6650 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6655 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6656 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6657 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6660 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6661 unread, but you get my drift.)
6664 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6665 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6666 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6667 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6668 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6669 threads are expunged.
6671 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6672 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6673 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6676 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6677 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6678 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6679 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6680 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6681 result in a new thread.
6683 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6684 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6685 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6688 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6689 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6690 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6691 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6692 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6693 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6694 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6695 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6696 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6697 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6698 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6703 @node Low-Level Threading
6704 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6708 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6709 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6710 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6712 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6713 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6714 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6715 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6716 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6717 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6718 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6719 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6720 meaningful. Here's one example:
6723 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6725 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6726 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6728 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6730 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6737 @node Thread Commands
6738 @subsection Thread Commands
6739 @cindex thread commands
6745 @kindex T k (Summary)
6746 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6747 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6748 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6749 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6750 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6755 @kindex T l (Summary)
6756 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6757 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6758 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6759 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6762 @kindex T i (Summary)
6763 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6764 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6765 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6768 @kindex T # (Summary)
6769 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6770 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6771 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6774 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6775 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6776 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6777 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6780 @kindex T T (Summary)
6781 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6782 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6785 @kindex T s (Summary)
6786 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6787 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6788 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6791 @kindex T h (Summary)
6792 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6793 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6796 @kindex T S (Summary)
6797 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6798 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6801 @kindex T H (Summary)
6802 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6803 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6806 @kindex T t (Summary)
6807 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6808 Re-thread the current article's thread
6809 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6810 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6813 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6814 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6815 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6816 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6820 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6821 understand the numeric prefix.
6826 @kindex T n (Summary)
6828 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6830 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6831 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6832 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6835 @kindex T p (Summary)
6837 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6839 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6840 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6841 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6844 @kindex T d (Summary)
6845 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6846 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6849 @kindex T u (Summary)
6850 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6851 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6854 @kindex T o (Summary)
6855 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6856 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6859 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6860 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6861 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6862 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6863 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6864 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6865 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6866 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6867 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6868 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6869 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6870 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6874 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6875 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6877 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6878 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6879 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6880 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6881 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6882 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6883 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6884 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6885 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6886 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6887 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6888 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6889 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6891 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6892 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6893 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6894 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6895 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6896 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6897 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6898 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6900 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6901 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6902 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6904 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6905 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6906 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6907 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6908 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6909 ascending article order.
6911 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6912 by number, you could do something like:
6915 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6916 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6917 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6918 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6921 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6922 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6923 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6924 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6925 which the articles arrived.
6927 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6931 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6933 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6934 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6937 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6938 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6939 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6940 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6943 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6944 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6945 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6946 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6947 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6948 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6949 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6950 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6951 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6952 variable. It is very similar to the
6953 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6954 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6955 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6956 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6957 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6958 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6959 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6961 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6965 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6966 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6967 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6972 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6973 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6974 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6975 @cindex article pre-fetch
6978 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6979 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6980 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6981 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6982 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6984 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6985 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6987 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6988 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6989 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6990 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6991 connection is blocked.
6993 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6994 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6995 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6996 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6998 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6999 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
7000 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7001 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7004 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7007 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7008 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7009 happen automatically.
7011 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7012 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7013 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7014 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7015 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7016 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7017 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7019 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7020 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7021 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7022 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7023 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7024 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7025 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7026 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7027 article data structure as the only parameter.
7029 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7030 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7033 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7034 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7035 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7036 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7039 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7042 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7043 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7044 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7046 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7047 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7048 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7049 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7053 Remove articles when they are read.
7056 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7059 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7061 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7062 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7063 @c from the next group.
7066 @node Article Caching
7067 @section Article Caching
7068 @cindex article caching
7071 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
7072 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7073 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7074 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7075 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7077 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7079 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7080 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7081 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7082 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7083 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7084 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7085 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7086 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7088 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7089 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7090 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7091 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7092 as dormant, and don't worry.
7094 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7096 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7097 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7098 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7099 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7100 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7101 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7102 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7103 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7104 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7105 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7107 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7108 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7109 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7110 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7111 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7112 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7113 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7114 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7115 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7116 not then be downloaded by this command.
7118 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7119 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7120 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7121 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7122 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7123 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7125 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7126 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7127 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7128 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7129 variables, the group is not cached.
7131 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7132 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7133 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7134 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7135 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7136 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7137 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7138 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7139 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7142 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7143 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7144 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7145 where, isn't that cool?
7147 @node Persistent Articles
7148 @section Persistent Articles
7149 @cindex persistent articles
7151 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7152 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7153 useful in my opinion.
7155 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7156 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7157 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7158 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7159 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7160 the expiry going on at the news server.
7162 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7163 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7164 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7170 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7171 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7174 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7175 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7176 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7177 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7181 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7183 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7184 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7185 interested in persistent articles:
7188 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7192 @node Article Backlog
7193 @section Article Backlog
7195 @cindex article backlog
7197 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7198 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7199 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7200 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7201 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7202 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7203 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7204 increase memory usage some.
7206 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7207 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7208 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7209 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7210 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7211 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7212 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7214 The default value is 20.
7217 @node Saving Articles
7218 @section Saving Articles
7219 @cindex saving articles
7221 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7222 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7223 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7224 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7225 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7227 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7228 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7229 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7231 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7232 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7233 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7235 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7236 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7237 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7238 deleted before saving.
7244 @kindex O o (Summary)
7246 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7247 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7248 Save the current article using the default article saver
7249 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7252 @kindex O m (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7254 Save the current article in mail format
7255 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7258 @kindex O r (Summary)
7259 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7260 Save the current article in rmail format
7261 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7264 @kindex O f (Summary)
7265 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7266 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7267 Save the current article in plain file format
7268 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7271 @kindex O F (Summary)
7272 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7273 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7274 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7277 @kindex O b (Summary)
7278 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7279 Save the current article body in plain file format
7280 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7283 @kindex O h (Summary)
7284 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7285 Save the current article in mh folder format
7286 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7289 @kindex O v (Summary)
7290 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7291 Save the current article in a VM folder
7292 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7296 @kindex O p (Summary)
7298 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7299 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7300 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7301 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7302 complete headers in the piped output.
7305 @kindex O P (Summary)
7306 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7307 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7308 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7309 external program Muttprint (see
7310 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7311 options to use is controlled by the variable
7312 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7316 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7317 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7318 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7319 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7320 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7321 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7322 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7323 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7324 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7325 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7326 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7327 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7331 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7332 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7333 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7334 functions below, or you can create your own.
7338 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7339 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7340 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7341 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7342 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7343 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7344 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7346 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7347 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7348 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7349 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7350 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7351 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7353 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7354 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7355 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7356 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7357 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7358 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7359 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7361 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7362 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7363 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7364 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7365 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7366 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7368 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7369 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7370 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7371 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7372 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7374 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7375 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7376 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7377 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7378 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7381 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7382 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7383 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7384 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7385 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7387 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7388 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7389 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7390 reader to use this setting.
7393 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7394 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7395 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7396 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7399 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7400 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7401 available functions that generate names:
7405 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7406 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7407 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7409 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7410 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7411 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7413 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7414 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7415 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7417 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7418 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7419 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7421 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7422 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7423 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7426 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7427 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7428 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7429 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7430 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7434 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7435 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7436 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7437 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7440 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7441 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7442 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7443 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7444 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7445 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7446 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7447 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7448 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7450 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7451 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7452 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7453 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7455 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7456 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7457 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7460 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7461 lots of mail groups called things like
7462 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7463 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7464 following will do just that:
7467 (defun my-save-name (group)
7468 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7469 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7471 (setq gnus-split-methods
7472 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7477 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7478 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7479 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7480 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7481 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7482 all the files in the top level directory
7483 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7484 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7485 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7486 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7488 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7489 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7490 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7491 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7492 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7495 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7499 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7500 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7501 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7504 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7505 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7506 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7507 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7510 @node Decoding Articles
7511 @section Decoding Articles
7512 @cindex decoding articles
7514 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7515 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7518 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7519 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7520 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7521 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7522 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7523 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7527 @cindex article series
7528 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7529 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7530 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7531 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7532 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7534 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7535 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7536 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7538 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7539 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7540 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7542 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7543 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7544 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7547 @node Uuencoded Articles
7548 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7550 @cindex uuencoded articles
7555 @kindex X u (Summary)
7556 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7557 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7558 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7561 @kindex X U (Summary)
7562 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7563 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7564 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7567 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7568 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7569 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7572 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7573 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7574 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7575 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7579 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7580 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7581 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7582 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7583 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7585 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7586 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7587 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7588 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7591 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7592 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7593 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7594 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7595 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7596 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7600 @node Shell Archives
7601 @subsection Shell Archives
7603 @cindex shell archives
7604 @cindex shared articles
7606 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7607 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7608 some commands to deal with these:
7613 @kindex X s (Summary)
7614 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7615 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7618 @kindex X S (Summary)
7619 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7620 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7623 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7624 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7625 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7628 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7629 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7630 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7631 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7635 @node PostScript Files
7636 @subsection PostScript Files
7642 @kindex X p (Summary)
7643 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7644 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7647 @kindex X P (Summary)
7648 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7649 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7650 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7653 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7654 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7655 View the current PostScript series
7656 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7659 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7660 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7661 View and save the current PostScript series
7662 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7667 @subsection Other Files
7671 @kindex X o (Summary)
7672 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7673 Save the current series
7674 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7677 @kindex X b (Summary)
7678 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7679 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7680 doesn't really work yet.
7684 @node Decoding Variables
7685 @subsection Decoding Variables
7687 Adjective, not verb.
7690 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7691 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7692 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7696 @node Rule Variables
7697 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7698 @cindex rule variables
7700 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7701 variables are of the form
7704 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7711 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7712 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7714 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7715 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7718 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7719 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7722 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7723 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7724 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7725 user and default view rules.
7727 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7728 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7729 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7734 @node Other Decode Variables
7735 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7738 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7740 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7741 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7742 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7743 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7744 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7748 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7749 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7752 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7753 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7754 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7757 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7758 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7759 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7760 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7761 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7764 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7765 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7766 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7768 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7769 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7770 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7771 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7772 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7775 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7776 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7777 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7779 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7780 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7781 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7782 looking for files to display.
7784 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7785 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7786 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7789 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7790 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7791 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7794 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7795 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7796 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7799 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7800 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7801 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7804 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7805 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7806 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7807 decoded articles as unread.
7809 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7810 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7811 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7812 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7814 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7815 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7816 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7818 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7819 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7821 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7822 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7823 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7824 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7826 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7827 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7828 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7829 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7830 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7831 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7832 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7833 simply dropped them.
7838 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7839 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7843 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7844 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7845 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7846 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7847 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7848 for you when you post the article.
7850 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7851 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7852 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7853 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7855 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7856 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7857 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7858 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7859 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7860 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7861 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7863 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7864 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7865 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7866 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7867 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7868 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7869 Default is @code{t}.
7875 @subsection Viewing Files
7876 @cindex viewing files
7877 @cindex pseudo-articles
7879 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7880 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7881 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7882 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7883 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7884 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7885 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7887 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7888 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7889 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7890 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7892 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7893 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7894 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7896 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7897 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7898 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7899 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7900 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7902 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7903 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7904 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7905 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7906 a list of parameters to that command.
7908 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7909 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7910 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7912 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7913 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7914 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7917 @node Article Treatment
7918 @section Article Treatment
7920 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7921 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7922 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7923 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7924 these articles easier.
7927 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7928 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7929 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7930 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7931 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7932 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7933 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
7934 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7935 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7936 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7937 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7941 @node Article Highlighting
7942 @subsection Article Highlighting
7943 @cindex highlighting
7945 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7946 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7951 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7952 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7953 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7954 Do much highlighting of the current article
7955 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7956 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7959 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7960 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7961 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7962 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7963 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7964 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7965 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7966 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7967 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7968 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7969 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7970 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7973 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7974 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7975 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7977 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7980 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7982 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7983 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7984 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7986 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7987 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7988 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7990 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7991 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7992 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7993 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7994 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7995 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7997 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7998 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7999 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8001 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8002 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8003 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8005 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8006 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8007 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8008 that it's a citation.
8010 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8011 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8012 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8014 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8015 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8016 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8018 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8019 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8020 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8021 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8027 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8028 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8029 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8030 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8031 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8032 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8033 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8034 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8039 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8042 @node Article Fontisizing
8043 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8045 @cindex article emphasis
8047 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8048 @kindex W e (Summary)
8049 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8050 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8051 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8052 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8054 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8055 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8056 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8057 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8058 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8059 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8060 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8061 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8065 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8066 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8067 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8076 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8077 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8078 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8079 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8080 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8081 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8082 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8083 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8084 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8085 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8086 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8087 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8088 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8090 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8091 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8092 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8096 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8099 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8101 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8102 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8103 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8104 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8106 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8109 @node Article Hiding
8110 @subsection Article Hiding
8111 @cindex article hiding
8113 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8114 too much cruft in most articles.
8119 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8120 @findex gnus-article-hide
8121 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8122 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8123 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8126 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8127 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8128 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8132 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8133 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8134 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8135 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8138 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8139 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8140 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8144 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8145 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8146 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8147 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8148 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8149 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8150 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8151 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8155 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8156 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8157 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8158 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8163 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8164 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8165 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8166 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8169 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8170 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8171 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8172 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8175 @cindex stripping advertisements
8176 @cindex advertisements
8177 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8178 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8179 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8180 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8181 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8182 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8183 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8184 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8185 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8186 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8189 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8190 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8191 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8195 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8196 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8197 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8198 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8199 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8200 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8201 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8202 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8203 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8204 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8205 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8208 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8214 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8215 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8216 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8217 customizing the hiding:
8221 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8222 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8223 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8224 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8225 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8226 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8227 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8232 Starting point of the hidden text.
8234 Ending point of the hidden text.
8236 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8238 Number of lines of hidden text.
8241 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8242 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8243 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8244 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8245 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8250 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8251 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8253 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8254 following two variables:
8257 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8258 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8259 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8260 50), hide the cited text.
8262 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8263 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8264 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8269 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8270 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8271 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8272 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8273 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8274 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8278 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8279 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8280 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8282 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8283 citation customization.
8285 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8289 @node Article Washing
8290 @subsection Article Washing
8292 @cindex article washing
8294 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8295 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8297 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8298 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8301 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8302 articles by default.
8307 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8308 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8312 Force redisplaying of the current article
8313 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8314 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8315 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8316 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8319 @kindex W l (Summary)
8320 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8321 Remove page breaks from the current article
8322 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8326 @kindex W r (Summary)
8327 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8328 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8329 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8330 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8331 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8332 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8334 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8335 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8336 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8337 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8340 @kindex W m (Summary)
8341 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8342 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8346 @kindex W t (Summary)
8348 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8349 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8350 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8353 @kindex W v (Summary)
8354 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8355 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8356 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8359 @kindex W o (Summary)
8360 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8361 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8364 @kindex W d (Summary)
8365 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8366 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8368 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8370 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8371 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8372 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8373 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8376 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8377 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8378 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8379 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8382 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8383 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8384 @cindex Outlook Express
8385 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8386 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8387 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8390 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8391 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8392 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8393 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8394 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8395 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8396 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8397 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8398 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8399 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8402 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8403 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8404 Repair a broken attribution line.
8405 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8408 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8409 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8410 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8411 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8414 @kindex W w (Summary)
8415 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8416 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8418 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8422 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8424 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8427 @kindex W C (Summary)
8428 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8429 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8430 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8433 @kindex W c (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8435 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8436 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8437 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8438 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8441 @kindex W q (Summary)
8442 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8443 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8444 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8445 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8446 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8447 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8448 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8449 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8450 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8453 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8454 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8455 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8456 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8457 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8458 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8459 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8461 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8464 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8465 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8466 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8467 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8468 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8471 @kindex W u (Summary)
8472 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8473 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8474 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8475 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8476 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8479 @kindex W h (Summary)
8480 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8481 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8482 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8483 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8485 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8487 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8488 The default is to use the function specified by
8489 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8490 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8491 @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8492 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8500 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8504 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8507 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8510 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8515 @kindex W b (Summary)
8516 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8517 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8518 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8521 @kindex W B (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8523 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8524 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8527 @kindex W p (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8529 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8530 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8531 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8532 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8533 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8534 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8537 @kindex W s (Summary)
8538 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8539 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8540 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8543 @kindex W a (Summary)
8544 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8545 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8546 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8549 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8550 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8551 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8552 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8555 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8556 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8557 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8558 lines with a single empty line.
8559 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8562 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8563 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8564 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8565 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8568 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8570 Do all the three commands above
8571 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8574 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8575 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8576 Remove all blank lines
8577 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8580 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8582 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8583 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8586 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8588 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8589 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8593 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8596 @node Article Header
8597 @subsection Article Header
8599 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8604 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8605 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8606 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8609 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8610 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8611 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8612 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8615 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8616 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8617 Fold all the message headers
8618 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8622 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8623 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8624 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8629 @node Article Buttons
8630 @subsection Article Buttons
8633 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8634 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8635 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8636 button on these references.
8638 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8639 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8640 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8641 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8642 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8646 @item gnus-button-alist
8647 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8648 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8651 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8657 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8658 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8659 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8660 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8661 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8664 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8665 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8666 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8669 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8670 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8671 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8672 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8673 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8675 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8678 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8681 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8682 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8686 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8689 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8692 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8693 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8694 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8695 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8696 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8699 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8702 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8704 @subsubheading Related variables and functions
8706 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8707 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8709 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8711 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8712 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8713 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8714 default values of the variables above.
8716 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8718 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8719 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8720 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8721 argument with a string naming the man page.
8723 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8725 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8726 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8727 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8729 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8730 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8731 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8732 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8733 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8734 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8735 a mail address, respectivly. If this variable is set to the symbol
8736 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8737 function will be called with the string as it's only argument. The
8738 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8739 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8740 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8742 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8743 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8744 Function that guesses whether it's argument is a message ID or a mail
8745 address. Returns @code{mid} it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if it's a
8746 mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the string is
8749 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8750 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8751 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8752 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8754 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8756 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8757 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8758 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8759 argument, the string naming the URL.
8762 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8763 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8764 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8768 @item gnus-article-button-face
8769 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8770 Face used on buttons.
8772 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8773 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8774 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8778 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8781 @node Article Button Levels
8782 @subsection Article button levels
8783 @cindex button levels
8784 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8785 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8786 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8787 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8788 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8789 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8790 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8791 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8794 ;; increase `gnus-button-*-level' in some groups:
8795 (setq gnus-parameters
8796 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8797 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8798 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8803 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8804 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8805 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8806 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8807 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8808 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8810 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8811 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8812 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8813 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8814 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8815 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8816 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8817 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8818 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8819 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8820 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8821 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8822 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8824 @item gnus-button-man-level
8825 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8826 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8827 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8829 @item gnus-button-message-level
8830 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8831 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8832 Related variables and functions include
8833 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8834 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8835 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8836 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8838 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8839 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8840 Controls the display of references to TeX or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8841 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8842 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8843 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8844 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8850 @subsection Article Date
8852 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8853 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8854 when the article was sent.
8859 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8860 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8861 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8862 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8865 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8866 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8868 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8869 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8872 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8873 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8874 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8877 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8878 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8879 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8880 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8883 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8884 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8885 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8886 @findex format-time-string
8887 Display the date using a user-defined format
8888 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8889 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8890 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8891 for a list of possible format specs.
8894 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8895 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8896 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8897 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8898 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8899 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8902 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8905 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8906 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8907 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8910 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8911 into wonderful absurdities.
8913 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8916 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8919 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8920 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8924 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8925 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8926 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8927 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8928 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8929 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8930 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8934 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8935 preferred format automatically.
8938 @node Article Display
8939 @subsection Article Display
8944 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8945 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8947 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8948 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8950 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8951 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8953 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8954 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8956 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8961 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8962 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8963 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8964 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8967 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8968 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8969 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8970 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8973 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8974 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8975 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8978 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8979 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8980 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8983 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8984 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8985 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8986 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8989 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8990 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8991 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8992 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8995 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8996 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8997 Remove all images from the article buffer
8998 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9004 @node Article Signature
9005 @subsection Article Signature
9007 @cindex article signature
9009 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9010 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9011 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9012 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9013 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9014 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9015 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9016 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9017 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9020 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9021 '("^-- $" ; The standard
9022 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
9023 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
9024 ; line of dashes. Shame!
9025 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
9026 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
9027 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
9030 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9033 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9034 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9035 signature when displaying articles.
9039 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9042 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9045 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9046 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9048 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9049 in question is not a signature.
9052 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9053 listed above. Here's an example:
9056 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9057 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9060 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9061 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9062 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9063 signature after all.
9066 @node Article Miscellania
9067 @subsection Article Miscellania
9071 @kindex A t (Summary)
9072 @findex gnus-article-babel
9073 Translate the article from one language to another
9074 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9080 @section MIME Commands
9081 @cindex MIME decoding
9083 @cindex viewing attachments
9085 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9086 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
9092 @kindex K v (Summary)
9093 View the @sc{mime} part.
9096 @kindex K o (Summary)
9097 Save the @sc{mime} part.
9100 @kindex K c (Summary)
9101 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
9104 @kindex K e (Summary)
9105 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
9108 @kindex K i (Summary)
9109 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
9112 @kindex K | (Summary)
9113 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
9116 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9121 @kindex K b (Summary)
9122 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9123 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9127 @kindex K m (Summary)
9128 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9129 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9130 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9131 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9132 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9135 @kindex X m (Summary)
9136 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9137 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
9138 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9139 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9142 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9143 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9144 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9145 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9148 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9149 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9150 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9151 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9154 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9155 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9156 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9157 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9159 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9160 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9161 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9162 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9163 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9164 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9167 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9168 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9169 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
9170 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9177 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9178 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9179 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9180 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9183 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9186 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9190 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9191 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9192 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9193 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
9194 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9195 default is @code{nil}.
9197 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9198 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9199 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
9200 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9201 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9202 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9203 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9205 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9206 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9207 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9208 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9209 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9210 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9211 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9212 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
9214 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9215 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9216 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9217 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9218 displayed. This variable overrides
9219 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9220 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9223 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9224 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9225 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9227 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9228 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9229 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9230 value is @code{nil}.
9232 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9233 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9234 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9235 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9236 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9237 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9238 save all jpegs into some directory).
9240 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9243 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9244 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9246 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9247 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9248 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9249 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9250 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9253 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9254 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9255 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9257 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9258 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9259 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9260 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9262 Ready-made functions include@*
9263 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9264 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9265 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9266 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9267 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9268 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9269 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9270 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9271 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9272 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9273 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9274 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9276 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9277 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9279 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9280 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9281 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9284 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9285 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9286 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9287 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9291 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9300 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9301 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9302 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9303 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9304 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9305 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9306 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9308 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9309 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9310 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9311 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9313 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9314 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9315 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9316 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9317 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9318 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9319 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9320 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9321 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9323 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9324 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9325 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9326 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9327 quoted-printable header encoding.
9329 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9330 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9331 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9335 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9338 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9339 means encode all charsets),
9341 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9342 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9343 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9350 @cindex coding system aliases
9351 @cindex preferred charset
9353 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9355 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9356 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9359 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9360 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9363 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9364 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9366 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9369 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9372 This will almost do the right thing.
9374 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9378 (codepage-setup 1251)
9379 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9383 @node Article Commands
9384 @section Article Commands
9391 @kindex A P (Summary)
9392 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9393 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9394 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9395 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9396 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9397 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9402 @node Summary Sorting
9403 @section Summary Sorting
9404 @cindex summary sorting
9406 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9407 can't really see why you'd want that.
9412 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9413 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9414 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9417 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9418 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9419 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9422 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9423 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9424 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9427 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9428 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9429 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9432 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9433 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9434 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9437 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9438 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9439 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9442 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9443 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9444 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9447 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9448 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9449 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9452 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9453 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9454 Sort using the default sorting method
9455 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9458 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9459 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9460 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9461 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9462 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9466 @node Finding the Parent
9467 @section Finding the Parent
9468 @cindex parent articles
9469 @cindex referring articles
9474 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9475 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9476 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9477 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9478 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9479 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9480 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9481 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9482 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9484 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9485 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9486 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9487 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9488 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9492 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9493 @kindex A R (Summary)
9494 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9495 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9498 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9499 @kindex A T (Summary)
9500 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9501 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9502 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9503 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9504 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9505 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9506 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9508 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9509 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9510 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9511 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9512 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9513 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9516 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9517 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9519 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9520 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9521 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9522 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9523 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9524 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9525 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9528 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9529 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9530 by giving this command a prefix.
9532 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9533 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9534 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9535 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9536 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9537 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9540 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9541 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9542 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9545 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9546 then ask Google if that fails:
9549 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9551 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9554 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9555 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9556 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9557 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9558 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9559 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9560 support this at all.
9563 @node Alternative Approaches
9564 @section Alternative Approaches
9566 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9567 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9570 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9571 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9576 @subsection Pick and Read
9577 @cindex pick and read
9579 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9580 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9581 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9582 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9584 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9585 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9586 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9587 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9588 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9589 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9591 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9596 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9597 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9598 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9599 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9600 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9601 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9602 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9603 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9606 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9607 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9608 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9609 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9613 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9614 Unpick the thread or article
9615 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9616 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9617 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9618 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9619 the thread or article at that line.
9623 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9624 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9625 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9626 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9627 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9628 will still be visible when you are reading.
9632 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9633 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9634 which is mapped to the same function
9635 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9637 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9640 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9643 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9644 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9646 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9647 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9648 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9650 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9651 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9652 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9653 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9654 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9655 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9656 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9660 @subsection Binary Groups
9661 @cindex binary groups
9663 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9664 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9665 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9666 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9667 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9668 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9669 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9672 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9673 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9674 command, when you have turned on this mode
9675 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9677 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9678 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9682 @section Tree Display
9685 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9686 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9687 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9688 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9691 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9694 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9695 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9696 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9698 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9699 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9700 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9701 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9702 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9704 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9705 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9706 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9707 default is @code{modeline}.
9709 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9710 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9711 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9712 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9713 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9714 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9715 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9721 The name of the poster.
9723 The @code{From} header.
9725 The number of the article.
9727 The opening bracket.
9729 The closing bracket.
9734 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9736 Variables related to the display are:
9739 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9740 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9741 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9742 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9743 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9744 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9746 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9747 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9748 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9749 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9753 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9754 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9755 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9756 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9757 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9758 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9759 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9760 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9761 other windows displayed next to it.
9763 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9767 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9768 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9771 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9772 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9773 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9774 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9775 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9776 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9777 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9781 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9784 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9794 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9798 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9799 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9801 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9803 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9808 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9809 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9810 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9813 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9814 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9815 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9816 (gnus-add-configuration
9820 (summary 0.75 point)
9825 @xref{Window Layout}.
9828 @node Mail Group Commands
9829 @section Mail Group Commands
9830 @cindex mail group commands
9832 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9833 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9835 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9836 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9841 @kindex B e (Summary)
9842 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9843 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9844 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9845 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9846 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9849 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9850 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9851 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9852 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9853 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9854 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9857 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9858 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9859 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9860 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9861 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9862 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9865 @kindex B m (Summary)
9867 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9868 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9869 Move the article from one mail group to another
9870 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9871 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9874 @kindex B c (Summary)
9876 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9877 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9878 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9879 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9880 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9883 @kindex B B (Summary)
9884 @cindex crosspost mail
9885 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9886 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9887 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9888 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9889 be properly updated.
9892 @kindex B i (Summary)
9893 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9894 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9895 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9896 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9899 @kindex B I (Summary)
9900 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9901 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9902 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9903 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9906 @kindex B r (Summary)
9907 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9908 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9909 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9910 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9911 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9912 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9913 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9914 (which is the default).
9918 @kindex B w (Summary)
9920 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9921 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9922 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9923 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9924 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9925 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9926 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9929 @kindex B q (Summary)
9930 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9931 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9932 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9933 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9936 @kindex B t (Summary)
9937 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9938 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9939 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9942 @kindex B p (Summary)
9943 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9944 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
9945 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9946 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9947 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9948 article from your news server (or rather, from
9949 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9950 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9951 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9952 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9953 just not have arrived yet.
9956 @kindex K E (Summary)
9957 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9958 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9959 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9960 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9961 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9965 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9966 @cindex moving articles
9967 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9968 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9969 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9970 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9971 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9972 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9973 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9976 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9977 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9978 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9979 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9983 @node Various Summary Stuff
9984 @section Various Summary Stuff
9987 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9988 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9989 * Summary Generation Commands::
9990 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9994 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
9995 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
9996 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
9997 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
9998 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
9999 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10001 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10002 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10003 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10005 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10006 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10007 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10008 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10009 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10010 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10013 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10014 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10015 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10016 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10017 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10019 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10020 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10021 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10024 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10025 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10026 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10027 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10028 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10029 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10030 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10031 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10032 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10033 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10035 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10036 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10037 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10038 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10039 list of articles to be selected.
10041 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10042 the list in one particular group:
10045 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10046 (if (string= group "some.group")
10047 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10051 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10052 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10053 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10054 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10055 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
10056 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10057 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10058 buffers. For example:
10061 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10062 '(message-use-followup-to
10063 (gnus-visible-headers .
10064 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10070 @node Summary Group Information
10071 @subsection Summary Group Information
10076 @kindex H f (Summary)
10077 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10078 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10079 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
10080 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
10081 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
10082 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
10083 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
10084 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
10085 be used for fetching the file.
10088 @kindex H d (Summary)
10089 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10090 Give a brief description of the current group
10091 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10092 rereading the description from the server.
10095 @kindex H h (Summary)
10096 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10097 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10098 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10101 @kindex H i (Summary)
10102 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10103 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10107 @node Searching for Articles
10108 @subsection Searching for Articles
10113 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10114 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10115 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10116 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10119 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10120 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10121 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10122 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10125 @kindex & (Summary)
10126 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10127 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10128 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10129 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10130 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10131 search backward instead.
10133 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
10134 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10137 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10138 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10139 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10140 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10143 @node Summary Generation Commands
10144 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10149 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10150 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10151 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10154 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10155 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10156 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10157 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10160 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10161 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10162 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10163 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10168 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10169 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10175 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10176 @kindex A D (Summary)
10177 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10178 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10179 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10180 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10181 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10182 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10183 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10184 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10188 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10189 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10190 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10191 several documents into one biiig group
10192 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10193 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10194 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10195 command understands the process/prefix convention
10196 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10199 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10200 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10201 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10202 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10203 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10204 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10207 @kindex = (Summary)
10208 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10209 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10210 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10213 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10214 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10215 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10216 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10219 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10220 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10221 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10222 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10227 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10228 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10229 @cindex summary exit
10230 @cindex exiting groups
10232 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10233 group and return you to the group buffer.
10239 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10240 @kindex q (Summary)
10241 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10242 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10243 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10244 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10245 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10246 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10247 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10248 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10249 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10250 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10251 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10252 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10256 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10257 @kindex Q (Summary)
10258 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10259 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10260 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10264 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10265 @kindex c (Summary)
10266 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10267 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10268 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10269 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10272 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10273 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10274 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10275 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10278 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10279 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10280 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10281 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10284 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10285 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10286 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10287 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10288 all articles, both read and unread.
10292 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10293 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10294 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10295 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10296 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10297 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10298 articles, both read and unread.
10301 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10302 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10303 Exit the group and go to the next group
10304 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10307 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10308 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10309 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10310 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10313 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10314 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10315 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10316 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10317 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10318 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10321 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10322 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10323 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10324 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10326 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10327 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10328 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10329 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10330 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10331 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10332 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10333 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10334 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10335 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10336 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10337 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10339 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10341 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10342 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10343 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10344 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10345 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10346 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10347 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10348 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10349 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10352 @node Crosspost Handling
10353 @section Crosspost Handling
10357 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10358 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10359 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10360 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10361 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10362 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10365 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10366 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10367 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10368 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10369 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10371 @cindex cross-posting
10374 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10375 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10376 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10377 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10378 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10379 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10380 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10381 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10382 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10383 the cross reference mechanism.
10385 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10386 @cindex overview.fmt
10387 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10388 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10389 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10390 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10391 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10392 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10395 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10396 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10397 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10402 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10405 @node Duplicate Suppression
10406 @section Duplicate Suppression
10408 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10409 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10410 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10411 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10416 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10417 is evil and not very common.
10420 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10421 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10424 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10425 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10428 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10431 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10432 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10434 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10435 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10436 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10437 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10438 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10439 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10440 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10443 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10444 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10445 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10446 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10447 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10448 saw the article in.
10451 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10452 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10453 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10455 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10456 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10457 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10458 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10459 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10460 session are suppressed.
10462 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10463 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10464 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10465 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10467 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10468 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10469 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10470 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10473 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10474 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10475 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10476 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10477 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10478 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10479 to you to figure out, I think.
10484 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10485 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10486 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10490 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10491 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10492 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10493 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10496 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10497 or newer is recommended.
10501 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10502 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10505 @item mm-verify-option
10506 @vindex mm-verify-option
10507 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10508 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10509 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10511 @item mm-decrypt-option
10512 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10513 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10514 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10515 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10518 @vindex mml1991-use
10519 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10520 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10521 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10524 @vindex mml2015-use
10525 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10526 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10527 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10531 @cindex snarfing keys
10532 @cindex importing PGP keys
10533 @cindex PGP key ring import
10534 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10535 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10536 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10537 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10538 through the usual MIME infrastructure. You can use a
10539 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10540 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10541 Privacy Guard when you click on the MIME button (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10544 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10547 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10548 @var{mailcap-mime-data}.
10551 @section Mailing List
10553 @kindex A M (summary)
10554 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10555 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10556 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10557 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10560 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10565 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10566 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10567 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10570 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10571 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10572 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10575 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10576 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10577 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10581 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10582 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10583 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10586 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10587 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10588 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10591 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10592 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10593 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10598 @node Article Buffer
10599 @chapter Article Buffer
10600 @cindex article buffer
10602 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10603 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10604 tell Gnus otherwise.
10607 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10608 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10609 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10610 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10611 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10615 @node Hiding Headers
10616 @section Hiding Headers
10617 @cindex hiding headers
10618 @cindex deleting headers
10620 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10621 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10623 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10624 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10625 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10626 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10627 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10628 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10629 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10630 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10631 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10633 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10637 @item gnus-visible-headers
10638 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10639 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10640 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10641 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10643 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10644 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10647 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10650 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10653 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10654 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10655 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10656 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10657 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10658 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10660 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10661 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10664 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10667 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10670 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10671 variable will have no effect.
10675 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10676 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10677 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10678 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10679 the headers are to be displayed.
10681 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10682 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10685 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10688 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10689 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10691 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10692 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10693 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10694 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10695 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10696 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10697 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10700 These conditions are:
10703 Remove all empty headers.
10705 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10706 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10708 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10709 @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter is
10712 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10715 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10716 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10718 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10719 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10721 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10722 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10724 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10727 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10729 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10732 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10735 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10736 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10739 This is also the default value for this variable.
10743 @section Using MIME
10746 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10747 while people stand around yawning.
10749 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10750 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10752 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10753 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10754 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10756 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10757 @findex gnus-display-mime
10758 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10759 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10760 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10761 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10763 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10767 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10768 @item RET (Article)
10769 @kindex RET (Article)
10770 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10771 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10772 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10773 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10774 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10775 object is displayed inline.
10777 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10778 @item M-RET (Article)
10779 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10781 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10782 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10784 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10786 @kindex t (Article)
10787 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10788 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10790 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10792 @kindex C (Article)
10793 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10794 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10796 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10798 @kindex o (Article)
10799 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10800 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10802 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10803 @item C-o (Article)
10804 @kindex C-o (Article)
10805 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10806 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10807 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10808 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10809 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10810 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10812 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10814 @kindex d (Article)
10815 Delete the @sc{mime} object from the article and replace it with some
10816 information about the removed @sc{mime} object
10817 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10819 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10821 @kindex c (Article)
10822 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10823 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10824 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10825 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10826 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10828 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10830 @kindex p (Article)
10831 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10832 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10833 @file{.mailcap} file.
10835 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10837 @kindex i (Article)
10838 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10839 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10840 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10841 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10842 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10845 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10847 @kindex E (Article)
10848 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10849 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10850 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10852 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10854 @kindex e (Article)
10855 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10856 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10858 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10860 @kindex | (Article)
10861 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10863 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10865 @kindex . (Article)
10866 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10867 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10871 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10872 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10875 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10876 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10877 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10878 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10879 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10880 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10881 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10882 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10883 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10885 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10887 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10890 @node Customizing Articles
10891 @section Customizing Articles
10892 @cindex article customization
10894 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10895 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10896 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10897 called automatically when you select the articles.
10899 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10900 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10901 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10902 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10904 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10905 for sensible values.
10909 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10912 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10915 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10918 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10921 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10925 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10926 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10927 regexps in the list.
10930 A list where the first element is not a string:
10932 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10933 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10934 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10938 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10943 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10944 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10945 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10946 considered to contain just a single part.
10948 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10949 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10950 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10951 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10952 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10953 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10954 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10956 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10957 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10958 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10959 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10962 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10963 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10965 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10967 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10968 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10969 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10970 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10971 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10972 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10973 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10974 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10975 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10976 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10978 @xref{Article Washing}.
10980 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10981 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10982 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10983 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10984 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10985 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10986 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10988 @xref{Article Date}.
10990 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10991 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10992 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10996 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10998 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11000 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11001 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11002 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11006 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
11010 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11011 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11012 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11013 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11014 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11015 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11016 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11017 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11018 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11019 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11021 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11023 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11024 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11025 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11027 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11029 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11030 @item gnus-treat-translate
11031 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11033 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11034 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11035 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11036 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11038 @xref{Article Header}.
11043 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11044 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11045 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11046 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11047 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11051 @node Article Keymap
11052 @section Article Keymap
11054 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11055 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11056 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11057 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11060 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11065 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11066 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11067 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11068 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11071 @kindex DEL (Article)
11072 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11073 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11074 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11077 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11078 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11079 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11080 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11081 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11084 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11085 @findex gnus-article-mail
11086 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11087 given a prefix, include the mail.
11090 @kindex s (Article)
11091 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11092 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11093 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11096 @kindex ? (Article)
11097 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11098 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11099 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11102 @kindex TAB (Article)
11103 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11104 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11105 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11108 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11109 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11110 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11113 @kindex R (Article)
11114 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11115 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11116 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11117 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11121 @kindex F (Article)
11122 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11123 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11124 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11125 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11133 @section Misc Article
11137 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11138 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11139 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11140 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11143 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11144 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11146 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
11147 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11149 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11150 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11151 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11152 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11153 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11154 the contents of the article buffer.
11156 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11157 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11158 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11160 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11161 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11162 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11163 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11165 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11166 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11167 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11168 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11170 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11171 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11172 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11173 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11174 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11180 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11181 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11182 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11187 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11190 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11193 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11194 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11195 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11198 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11201 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11204 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11209 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
11213 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11215 @item gnus-break-pages
11216 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11217 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11218 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11219 paging will not be done.
11221 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11222 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11223 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11227 @cindex internationalized domain names
11228 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11229 @item gnus-use-idna
11230 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11231 internationalized domain names inside @sc{From:}, @sc{To:} and
11232 @sc{Cc:} headers. This requires GNU Libidn
11233 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}, and this variable is only
11234 enabled if you have installed it.
11239 @node Composing Messages
11240 @chapter Composing Messages
11241 @cindex composing messages
11244 @cindex sending mail
11249 @cindex using s/mime
11250 @cindex using smime
11252 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11253 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11254 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11255 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11256 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11257 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11260 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11261 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11262 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11263 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11264 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11265 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11266 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11267 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11270 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11271 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11277 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11280 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11281 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11282 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11283 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11284 @code{nil} include all headers.
11286 @item gnus-add-to-list
11287 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11288 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11289 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11291 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11292 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11293 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11294 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11295 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11296 confirmation is should be asked for.
11298 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11299 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11301 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11302 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11303 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11304 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11305 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11310 @node Posting Server
11311 @section Posting Server
11313 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11314 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11316 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11318 It can be quite complicated.
11320 @vindex gnus-post-method
11321 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11322 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11323 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11324 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11325 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11326 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11327 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11328 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11329 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11332 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11335 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11336 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11337 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11338 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11340 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11341 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11343 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11344 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11347 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11348 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11350 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11351 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11352 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11353 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11354 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11355 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11356 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11357 package correctly. An example:
11360 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11361 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11364 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11365 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11366 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11368 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11369 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11370 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11372 @node Mail and Post
11373 @section Mail and Post
11375 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11379 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11380 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11381 @cindex mailing lists
11383 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11384 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11385 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11386 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11387 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11388 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11389 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11390 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11391 still a pain, though.
11393 @item gnus-user-agent
11394 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11397 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11398 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11399 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11400 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11401 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11402 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11403 use a valid format, see RFC 2616."
11407 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11408 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11409 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11412 @findex ispell-message
11414 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11417 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11418 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11421 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11425 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11426 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11428 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11431 Modify to suit your needs.
11434 @node Archived Messages
11435 @section Archived Messages
11436 @cindex archived messages
11437 @cindex sent messages
11439 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11440 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11441 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11442 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11445 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11446 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11449 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11450 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11451 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11454 (nnfolder "archive"
11455 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11456 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11457 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11458 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11461 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11462 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11463 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11464 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11467 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11468 '(nnfolder "archive"
11469 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11470 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11471 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11474 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11476 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11477 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11478 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11480 This variable can be used to do the following:
11485 Messages will be saved in that group.
11487 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11488 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11489 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11490 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11491 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11492 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11493 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11494 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11498 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11500 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11501 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11504 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11509 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11511 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11514 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11516 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11519 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11521 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11522 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11523 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11524 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11527 More complex stuff:
11529 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11530 '((if (message-news-p)
11535 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11536 messages in one file per month:
11539 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11540 '((if (message-news-p)
11542 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11545 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11546 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11548 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11549 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11550 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11551 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11552 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11553 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11554 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11555 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11556 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11557 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11559 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11560 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11561 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11562 this will disable archiving.
11565 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11566 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11567 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11568 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11569 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11572 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11573 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11574 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11577 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11578 but the latter is the preferred method.
11580 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11581 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11582 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11584 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11585 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11586 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11587 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11588 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11589 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11590 changed in the future.
11595 @node Posting Styles
11596 @section Posting Styles
11597 @cindex posting styles
11600 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11602 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11603 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11604 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11607 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11608 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11609 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11610 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11611 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11616 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11617 (organization "What me?"))
11619 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11620 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11621 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11624 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11625 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11626 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11627 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11628 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11629 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11630 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11631 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11633 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11634 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11635 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11636 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11637 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11638 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11639 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11640 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11641 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11642 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11643 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11644 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11645 said to @dfn{match}.
11647 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11648 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11649 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11650 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11651 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11652 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11653 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11654 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11655 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11656 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11659 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11660 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11661 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11662 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11663 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11664 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11665 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11666 references chars lines xref extra.
11668 @vindex message-reply-headers
11670 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11671 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11672 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11674 @findex message-mail-p
11675 @findex message-news-p
11677 So here's a new example:
11680 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11682 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11684 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11685 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11687 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11688 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11689 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11690 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11691 (signature my-news-signature))
11692 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11693 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11694 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11695 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11696 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11697 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11698 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11699 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11700 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11701 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11703 (From (save-excursion
11704 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11705 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11707 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11710 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11711 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11712 if you fill many roles.
11719 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11720 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11721 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11722 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11723 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11725 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11726 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11727 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11728 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11729 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11733 @vindex nndraft-directory
11734 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11735 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11736 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11737 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11738 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11739 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11741 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11742 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11743 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11744 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11745 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11746 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11747 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11748 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11749 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11751 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11752 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11753 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11754 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11755 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11756 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11757 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11758 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11759 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11760 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11761 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11762 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11763 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11764 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11766 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11767 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11768 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11770 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11771 @kindex D e (Draft)
11772 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11773 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11774 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11776 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11779 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11780 @kindex D s (Draft)
11781 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11782 @kindex D S (Draft)
11783 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11784 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11785 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11786 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11787 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11790 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11791 @kindex D t (Draft)
11792 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11793 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11794 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11797 @node Rejected Articles
11798 @section Rejected Articles
11799 @cindex rejected articles
11801 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11802 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11803 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11804 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11806 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11807 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11808 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11809 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11810 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11812 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11813 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11814 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11816 @node Signing and encrypting
11817 @section Signing and encrypting
11819 @cindex using s/mime
11820 @cindex using smime
11822 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11823 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11824 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11825 (@pxref{Security}).
11827 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11828 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11829 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11830 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11831 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11832 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11833 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11834 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11835 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11836 automatically encrypted messages.
11838 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11839 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11840 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11845 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11846 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11848 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11851 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11852 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11854 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11857 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11858 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11860 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11863 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11864 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11866 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11869 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11870 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11872 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11875 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11876 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11878 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11881 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11882 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11883 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11887 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11889 @node Select Methods
11890 @chapter Select Methods
11891 @cindex foreign groups
11892 @cindex select methods
11894 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11895 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11896 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11897 personal mail group.
11899 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11900 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11901 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11902 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11903 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11904 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11906 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11907 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11909 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11912 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11913 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11914 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11915 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11916 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11918 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11921 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11922 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11923 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11924 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11925 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11926 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11927 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11928 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11932 @node Server Buffer
11933 @section Server Buffer
11935 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11936 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11937 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11938 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11939 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11940 back end represents a virtual server.
11942 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11943 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11944 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11945 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11947 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11948 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11949 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11950 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11951 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11952 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11953 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11955 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11956 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11959 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11960 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11961 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11962 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11963 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11964 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11965 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11968 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11969 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11972 @node Server Buffer Format
11973 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11974 @cindex server buffer format
11976 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11977 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11978 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11979 variable, with some simple extensions:
11984 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11987 The name of this server.
11990 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11993 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11996 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11997 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11998 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11999 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12009 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12012 @node Server Commands
12013 @subsection Server Commands
12014 @cindex server commands
12020 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12021 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12025 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12026 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12029 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12030 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12031 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12035 @findex gnus-server-exit
12036 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12040 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12041 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12045 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12046 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12050 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12051 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12055 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12056 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12060 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12061 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12062 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12067 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12068 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12069 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12070 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12075 @node Example Methods
12076 @subsection Example Methods
12078 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12081 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12084 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12090 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12091 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12094 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12095 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12097 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12098 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12102 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12105 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12106 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12108 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12109 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12110 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12114 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12117 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12120 Here's the method for a public spool:
12124 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12125 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12131 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
12132 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12133 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
12134 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12135 should probably look something like this:
12139 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12140 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12141 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12142 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12145 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12146 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12147 configuration to the example above:
12150 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12153 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12155 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12156 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12157 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12161 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12162 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12163 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12164 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12167 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12168 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12169 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12170 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12173 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12174 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12176 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12177 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12179 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12180 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
12181 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12183 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
12185 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
12186 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12187 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12188 will contain the following:
12198 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
12199 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
12200 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12203 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12204 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12205 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12208 @node Server Variables
12209 @subsection Server Variables
12210 @cindex server variables
12211 @cindex server parameters
12213 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12214 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12215 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12216 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12217 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12219 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12220 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12221 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12222 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12223 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12224 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12225 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12226 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12227 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12231 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12232 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12233 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12236 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12238 @node Servers and Methods
12239 @subsection Servers and Methods
12241 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12242 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12243 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12244 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12248 @node Unavailable Servers
12249 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12251 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12252 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12253 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12254 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12255 actually the case or not.
12257 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12258 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12259 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12260 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12261 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12262 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12263 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12264 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12266 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12267 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12269 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12270 with the following commands:
12276 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12277 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12278 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12282 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12283 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12284 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12288 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12289 Mark the current server as unreachable
12290 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12293 @kindex M-o (Server)
12294 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12295 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12296 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12299 @kindex M-c (Server)
12300 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12301 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12302 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12306 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12307 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12308 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12312 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12313 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12319 @section Getting News
12320 @cindex reading news
12321 @cindex news back ends
12323 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12324 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
12325 or it can read from a local spool.
12328 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
12329 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12337 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
12338 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
12339 server as the, uhm, address.
12341 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12342 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12343 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12344 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12346 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12347 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12348 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12350 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12355 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12356 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12357 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12359 @cindex authentification
12360 @cindex nntp authentification
12361 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12362 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12363 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12364 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
12365 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12366 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12367 present in this hook.
12369 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12370 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12371 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12372 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12373 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12374 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12375 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12376 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12377 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12378 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12379 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12380 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12384 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12387 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12389 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12390 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12391 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12392 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12393 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12394 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12395 @samp{force} is explained below.
12399 Here's an example file:
12402 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12403 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12406 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12407 have to be first, for instance.
12409 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12410 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12411 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12412 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12413 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12414 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12415 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12417 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12418 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12424 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12425 previously mentioned.
12427 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12429 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12430 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12431 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12432 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12433 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12436 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12437 '(("innd" (ding))))
12440 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12442 The default value is
12445 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12446 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12447 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12450 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12451 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12453 @item nntp-maximum-request
12454 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12455 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12456 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12457 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12458 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12459 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12460 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12462 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12463 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12464 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12465 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12466 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12467 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12468 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12469 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12470 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12471 no timeouts are done.
12473 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12474 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12475 @c @cindex PPP connections
12476 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12477 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12478 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12479 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12480 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12481 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12482 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12483 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12484 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12485 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12487 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12488 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12489 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12490 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12491 @c described above.
12493 @item nntp-server-hook
12494 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12495 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12498 @item nntp-buggy-select
12499 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12500 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12502 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12503 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12504 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12505 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12508 @item nntp-xover-commands
12509 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12512 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12513 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12517 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12518 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12519 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12520 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12521 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12522 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12523 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12524 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12525 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12526 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12527 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12529 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12530 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12531 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12533 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12534 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12535 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12536 server closes connection.
12538 @item nntp-record-commands
12539 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12540 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12541 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12542 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12543 that doesn't seem to work.
12545 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12546 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12547 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12548 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12549 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12550 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12551 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12552 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12554 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12555 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12556 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12557 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12558 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12559 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12560 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12563 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12566 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12567 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12569 @item nntp-read-timeout
12570 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12571 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12572 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12573 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12574 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12580 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12581 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12582 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12586 @node Direct Functions
12587 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12588 @cindex direct connection functions
12590 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12591 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12592 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12593 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12596 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12597 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12598 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12601 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12602 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12603 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12604 this you must have GNUTLS installed (see
12605 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}). You then define a server
12609 ;; "nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12610 ;; however, gnutls-cli -p doesn't like named ports.
12612 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12613 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12614 (nntp-port-number )
12615 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12618 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12619 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12620 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
12621 you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12622 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}. You then
12623 define a server as follows:
12626 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12627 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports.
12629 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12630 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12631 (nntp-port-number 563)
12632 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12635 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12636 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12637 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12638 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12639 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12640 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12641 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12642 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12646 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12647 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12648 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12651 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12652 session, which is not a good idea.
12656 @node Indirect Functions
12657 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12658 @cindex indirect connection functions
12660 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12661 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12662 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12663 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12664 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12665 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12668 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12669 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12670 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12671 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12672 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12674 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12677 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12678 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12679 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12680 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12682 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12683 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12684 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12685 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12686 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12687 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12688 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12689 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12693 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12694 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12695 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12696 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12698 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12701 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12702 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12703 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12706 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12707 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12708 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12709 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12711 @item nntp-via-user-password
12712 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12713 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12715 @item nntp-via-envuser
12716 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12717 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12718 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12719 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12721 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12722 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12723 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12724 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12731 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12736 @item nntp-via-user-name
12737 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12738 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12740 @item nntp-via-address
12741 @vindex nntp-via-address
12742 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12747 @node Common Variables
12748 @subsubsection Common Variables
12750 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12751 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12756 @item nntp-pre-command
12757 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12758 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12759 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12760 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12761 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12764 @vindex nntp-address
12765 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12767 @item nntp-port-number
12768 @vindex nntp-port-number
12769 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is
12770 @samp{nntp}. If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{tls}/@sc{ssl}, you may
12771 want to use integer ports rather than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563}
12772 instead of @samp{snews} or @samp{nntps}), because external TLS/SSL
12773 tools may not work with named ports.
12775 @item nntp-end-of-line
12776 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12777 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12778 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12779 using a non native connection function.
12781 @item nntp-telnet-command
12782 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12783 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12784 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12785 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12787 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12788 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12789 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12796 @subsection News Spool
12800 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12801 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12802 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12805 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12806 anything else) as the address.
12808 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12809 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12810 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12811 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12815 @item nnspool-inews-program
12816 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12817 Program used to post an article.
12819 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12820 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12821 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12823 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12824 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12825 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12826 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12828 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12829 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12830 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12831 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12833 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12834 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12835 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12837 @item nnspool-active-file
12838 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12839 The name of the active file.
12841 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12842 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12843 The name of the group descriptions file.
12845 @item nnspool-history-file
12846 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12847 The name of the news history file.
12849 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12850 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12851 The name of the active date file.
12853 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12854 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12855 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12858 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12859 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12861 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12862 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12863 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12869 @section Getting Mail
12870 @cindex reading mail
12873 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12877 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12878 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12879 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12880 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12881 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12882 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12883 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12884 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12885 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12886 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12887 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12888 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12889 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12893 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12894 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12896 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12897 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12898 of a culture shock.
12900 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12901 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12903 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12904 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12905 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12906 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12908 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12910 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12911 deleted? How awful!
12913 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12914 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12915 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12916 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12919 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12920 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12921 they want to treat a message.
12923 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12924 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12925 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12926 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12927 archived somewhere else.
12929 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12930 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12931 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12932 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12933 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12935 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12936 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12937 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12939 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12940 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12943 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12944 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12945 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12946 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12947 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12949 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12950 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12951 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12952 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12953 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12954 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12958 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12959 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12961 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12962 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12963 and things will happen automatically.
12965 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
12966 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12969 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12972 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12973 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12974 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12975 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12976 like any other group.
12978 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12981 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12982 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12983 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12987 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12988 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12989 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12992 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12993 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12994 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12997 @node Splitting Mail
12998 @subsection Splitting Mail
12999 @cindex splitting mail
13000 @cindex mail splitting
13002 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13003 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13004 to be split into groups.
13007 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13008 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13009 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13010 ("mail.other" "")))
13013 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13014 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13015 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13016 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13017 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13018 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13019 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13022 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13025 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13026 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13027 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13028 mail belongs in that group.
13030 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13031 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13032 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13033 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13034 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13035 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13037 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13038 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13039 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13040 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13041 thinks should carry this mail message.
13043 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13044 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13045 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13046 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13048 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13049 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13050 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13051 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13052 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13054 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13057 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13058 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13059 links. If that's the case for you, set
13060 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13061 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13063 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13064 @kindex nnmail-split-history
13065 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13066 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13067 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13068 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13071 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13072 Header lines longer than the value of
13073 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13076 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13077 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13078 By default the splitting codes @sc{mime} decodes headers so you can match
13079 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
13080 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
13081 can be turned off completely by binding
13082 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
13083 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13085 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13086 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
13087 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
13088 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
13089 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13090 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
13091 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
13094 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13095 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13096 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13097 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13098 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13099 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13100 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13101 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13102 month's rent money.
13106 @subsection Mail Sources
13108 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
13109 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
13113 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13114 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13115 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13119 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13120 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13122 @cindex mail server
13125 @cindex mail source
13127 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13128 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13133 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13136 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13137 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13138 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13141 The following mail source types are available:
13145 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13151 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
13152 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13153 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13157 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13160 An example file mail source:
13163 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13166 Or using the default file name:
13172 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
13173 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
13174 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
13177 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13181 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13184 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13188 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13191 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13193 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13196 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13200 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13201 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
13202 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
13203 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
13204 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
13205 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
13206 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13207 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
13208 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
13209 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13211 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13212 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13213 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
13214 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13220 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13224 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13228 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13229 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13230 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13231 predicate are considered.
13235 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13239 An example directory mail source:
13242 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13247 Get mail from a POP server.
13253 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
13254 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13257 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
13258 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13259 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13260 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13261 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13264 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
13268 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
13272 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
13273 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13276 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13279 The valid format specifier characters are:
13283 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13284 included in this string.
13287 The name of the server.
13290 The port number of the server.
13293 The user name to use.
13296 The password to use.
13299 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13300 corresponding keywords.
13303 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13304 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13307 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13308 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13311 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
13312 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
13315 @item :authentication
13316 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13317 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13322 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13323 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13325 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
13326 default user name, and default fetcher:
13332 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13335 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13336 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13339 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13342 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13346 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13347 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13348 contains exactly one mail.
13354 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13355 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13358 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13359 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13361 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13362 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13363 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13366 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13367 from locking problems).
13371 Two example maildir mail sources:
13374 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13375 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13379 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13384 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13385 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13386 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13387 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13390 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, TLS/SSL and STARTTLS support you
13391 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13397 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13398 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13401 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13402 @samp{993} for TLS/SSL connections.
13405 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13409 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13413 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13414 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13415 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13416 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13418 @item :authentication
13419 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13420 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13421 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13422 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13425 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13426 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13427 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13433 The valid format specifier characters are:
13437 The name of the server.
13440 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13443 The port number of the server.
13446 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13447 corresponding keywords.
13450 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13451 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13454 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13455 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13456 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13457 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13458 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13459 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13462 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13463 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13464 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13465 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13468 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13469 after finishing the fetch.
13473 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13476 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13478 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13482 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13483 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13484 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13486 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13487 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13489 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13495 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13496 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13499 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13503 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13507 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13508 folder after finishing the fetch.
13512 An example webmail source:
13515 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13517 :password "secret")
13522 @item Common Keywords
13523 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13529 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13530 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13534 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13539 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13540 useful when you use local mail and news.
13545 @subsubsection Function Interface
13547 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13548 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13549 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13550 consider the following mail-source setting:
13553 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13554 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13557 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13558 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13559 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13560 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13561 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13563 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13566 @node Mail Source Customization
13567 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13569 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13570 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13574 @item mail-source-crash-box
13575 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13576 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13577 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13579 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13580 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13581 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13582 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13583 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13584 (This will only happen, when reveiving new mail). You may also set
13585 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13586 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13588 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13589 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13590 If @code{non-nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13591 files. This variable only applies when
13592 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13594 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13595 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13596 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13598 @item mail-source-directory
13599 @vindex mail-source-directory
13600 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13601 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13602 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13605 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13606 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13607 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13608 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13609 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13610 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13612 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13613 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13614 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13616 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13617 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13618 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13619 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13624 @node Fetching Mail
13625 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13627 @vindex mail-sources
13628 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13629 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13630 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13631 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13633 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13634 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13637 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13638 mail server, you'd say something like:
13643 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13644 :password "secret")))
13647 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13651 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13652 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13655 :password "secret")))
13659 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13660 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13661 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13662 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13663 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13664 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13668 @node Mail Back End Variables
13669 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13671 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13675 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13676 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13677 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13678 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13680 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13681 @item nnmail-split-hook
13682 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13683 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13684 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13685 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13686 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13687 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13688 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13689 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13690 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13693 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13694 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13695 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13696 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13697 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13698 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13699 starting to handle the new mail) and
13700 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13701 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13702 default file modes the new mail files get:
13705 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13706 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13708 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13709 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13712 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13713 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13714 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13715 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13716 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13717 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13718 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13720 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13721 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13722 @findex delete-file
13723 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13725 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13726 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13727 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13728 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13729 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13731 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13732 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13733 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13734 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13735 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13737 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13738 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13739 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13744 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13745 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13746 @cindex mail splitting
13747 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13749 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13750 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13751 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13752 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13753 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13754 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13756 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13759 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13760 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13761 ;; from real errors.
13762 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13764 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13765 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13766 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13767 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13768 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13769 ;; Other mailing lists...
13770 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13771 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13772 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13773 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13774 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13775 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13776 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13777 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13779 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13780 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13784 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13785 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13786 the five possible split syntaxes:
13791 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13792 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13796 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13797 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13798 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13799 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13800 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13801 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13802 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13803 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13806 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13807 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13808 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13809 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13812 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13813 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13816 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13817 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13820 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13821 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13822 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13823 function should return a @var{split}.
13826 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13827 body of the messages:
13830 (defun split-on-body ()
13832 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13833 (goto-char (point-min))
13834 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13838 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13839 when the @code{:} function is run.
13842 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13843 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13844 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13845 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13848 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13852 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13853 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13854 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13855 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13856 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13858 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13859 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13860 are expanded as specified by the variable
13861 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13862 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13865 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13866 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13867 when all this splitting is performed.
13869 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13870 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13871 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13874 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13877 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13878 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13880 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13881 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13882 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13883 groupings 1 through 9.
13885 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13886 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13887 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13888 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13889 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13890 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13891 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13892 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13893 it once per thread.
13895 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13896 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13897 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13900 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13901 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13903 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13904 ;; other splits go here
13908 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13909 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13910 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13911 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13912 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13913 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13914 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13915 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13916 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13917 unless the group name matches the regexp
13918 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13919 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13920 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13921 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13922 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13923 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13924 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13925 messages goes into the new group.
13927 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13928 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13929 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13930 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13931 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13935 @node Group Mail Splitting
13936 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13937 @cindex mail splitting
13938 @cindex group mail splitting
13940 @findex gnus-group-split
13941 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13942 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13943 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13944 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13945 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13946 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13947 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13948 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13950 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13951 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13952 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13953 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13955 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13956 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13957 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13958 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13959 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13960 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13961 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13963 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13964 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13965 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13966 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13967 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13968 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13969 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13971 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13972 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13973 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13974 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13975 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13976 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13977 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13978 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13979 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13980 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13981 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13982 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13983 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13985 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13990 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13991 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13993 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13994 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13995 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13996 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13998 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14001 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14002 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14003 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14006 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14007 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14008 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14012 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14013 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14014 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14018 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
14021 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14022 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14023 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14024 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
14025 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14026 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
14027 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14028 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14029 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14031 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14032 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14033 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14034 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14035 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14036 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14037 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14038 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14039 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14041 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14042 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14043 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14044 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14045 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14046 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14049 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
14052 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14053 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14054 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14055 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14056 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14059 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14060 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14061 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14062 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14064 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14065 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14066 @cindex incorporating old mail
14067 @cindex import old mail
14069 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14070 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14071 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14074 Doing so can be quite easy.
14076 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14077 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14078 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14079 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14080 your @code{nnml} groups.
14086 Go to the group buffer.
14089 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14090 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14093 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14096 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14097 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14100 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14101 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14104 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14105 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14106 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14107 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14108 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14110 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14111 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14112 using the new mail back end.
14115 @node Expiring Mail
14116 @subsection Expiring Mail
14117 @cindex article expiry
14119 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14120 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14121 different approach to mail reading.
14123 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14124 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14125 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14126 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14127 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14128 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14131 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14132 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
14133 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14134 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14135 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14136 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14137 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14138 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14139 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14141 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14142 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
14143 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14144 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
14145 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14146 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14147 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14150 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14151 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14152 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14153 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14154 into its own group.)
14156 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14157 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14158 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14159 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14160 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14161 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14162 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
14163 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14166 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14167 Groups that match the regular expression
14168 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14169 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14170 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14172 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14173 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14174 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14175 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14176 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14178 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14180 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14181 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14182 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14185 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14186 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14187 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14188 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14189 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14191 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14192 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14195 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14196 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14199 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14200 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14202 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14203 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14204 don't really mix very well.
14206 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14207 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14208 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14209 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14212 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14213 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14214 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14215 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14218 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14220 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14222 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14224 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14226 ((string= group "important")
14232 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14233 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14235 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14236 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14237 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14240 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14241 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14243 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14244 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14245 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14246 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14247 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14248 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14249 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14250 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14251 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14252 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14253 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14254 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
14255 name or @code{delete}.
14257 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14259 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14262 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14263 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14264 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14265 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14266 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14269 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14270 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14271 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14272 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14273 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14276 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14277 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14278 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14279 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14280 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14281 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14283 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14284 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14285 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14286 easier for procmail users.
14288 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14289 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14290 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14291 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14292 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14293 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14294 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14295 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14296 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14297 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14298 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14299 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14300 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14303 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14305 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14306 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14307 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14308 auto-expire turned on.
14312 @subsection Washing Mail
14313 @cindex mail washing
14314 @cindex list server brain damage
14315 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14317 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14318 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14319 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14320 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14321 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14322 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14324 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14325 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14326 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14329 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14330 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14331 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14332 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14335 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14336 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14337 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14338 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14339 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14342 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14343 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14344 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14345 Emacs running on MS machines.
14349 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14350 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14351 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14352 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14355 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14356 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14357 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14358 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14360 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14361 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14362 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14363 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14364 into a feature by documenting it.)
14366 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14367 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14368 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14369 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14370 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14371 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14372 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14375 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14376 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14379 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14380 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14383 This can also be done non-destructively with
14384 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14386 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14387 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14388 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14390 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14391 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14393 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14394 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14395 @code{References} headers.
14399 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14400 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14401 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14405 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14406 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14407 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14414 @subsection Duplicates
14416 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14417 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14418 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14419 @cindex duplicate mails
14420 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14421 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14422 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14423 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14424 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14425 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14426 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14427 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14428 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14429 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14430 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14431 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14432 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14434 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14435 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14436 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14437 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14439 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14442 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14443 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14447 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14448 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14449 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14450 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14451 (any mail "mail.misc")
14458 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14459 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14464 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14465 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14466 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14467 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14468 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14471 @node Not Reading Mail
14472 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14474 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14475 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14476 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14478 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14479 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14480 mail, which should help.
14482 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14483 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14484 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14485 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14486 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14487 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14488 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14489 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14490 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14491 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14492 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14494 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14495 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14499 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14500 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14502 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14503 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14504 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14506 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14507 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14508 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14512 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14513 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14514 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14515 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14516 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14517 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14518 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14522 @node Unix Mail Box
14523 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14525 @cindex unix mail box
14527 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14528 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14529 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14530 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14531 which group it belongs in.
14533 Virtual server settings:
14536 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14537 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14538 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14541 @item nnmbox-active-file
14542 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14543 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14544 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14546 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14547 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14548 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14549 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14554 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14558 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14559 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14560 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14561 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14562 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14564 Virtual server settings:
14567 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14568 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14569 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14571 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14572 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14573 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14574 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14576 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14577 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14578 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14584 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14586 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14588 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14589 format. It should be used with some caution.
14591 @vindex nnml-directory
14592 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14593 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14594 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14595 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14597 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14600 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14601 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14602 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14603 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14604 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14605 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14606 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14607 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14609 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14610 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14611 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14612 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14614 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14616 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14617 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14618 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14619 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14620 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14621 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14622 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14623 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14626 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14627 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14628 them next time it starts.
14630 Virtual server settings:
14633 @item nnml-directory
14634 @vindex nnml-directory
14635 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14636 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14639 @item nnml-active-file
14640 @vindex nnml-active-file
14641 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14642 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14644 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14645 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14646 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14647 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14649 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14650 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14651 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14654 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14655 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14656 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14657 default is @code{nil}.
14659 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14660 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14661 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14663 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14664 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14665 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14667 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14668 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14669 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14670 default is @code{nil}.
14672 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14673 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14674 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14676 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14677 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14678 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14683 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14684 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14685 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14686 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14687 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14688 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14689 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14694 @subsubsection MH Spool
14696 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14698 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14699 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14700 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14701 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14703 Virtual server settings:
14706 @item nnmh-directory
14707 @vindex nnmh-directory
14708 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14709 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14712 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14713 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14714 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14718 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14719 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14720 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14721 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14722 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14723 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14724 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14729 @subsubsection Maildir
14733 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14734 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14735 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14736 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14737 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14740 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14741 reading, without needing locks. With other backends, you would have
14742 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14743 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14744 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14745 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14748 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14749 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14750 data in the filesystem.
14752 nnmaildir stores article marks and NOV data in each maildir. So you
14753 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14756 Virtual server settings:
14760 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14761 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14762 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14763 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14764 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14765 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14766 starting with `.' are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14767 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14768 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14771 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14772 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14773 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14774 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14775 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14776 don't worry - a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14777 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14778 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14779 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14780 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14782 @item target-prefix
14783 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14784 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14785 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14788 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14789 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14790 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14791 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14792 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14793 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14794 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14795 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14796 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14798 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14799 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14800 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14801 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14802 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14804 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14805 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14806 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14807 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14808 @code{force} argument.
14810 @item directory-files
14811 This should be a function with the same interface as
14812 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14813 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14814 parameter is optional; the default is
14815 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14816 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14817 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14818 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14819 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14820 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14823 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14824 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14825 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14826 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14827 value is @code{nil}.
14829 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14830 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14831 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14832 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14833 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14836 @subsubsection Group parameters
14838 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14839 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14840 behavior for other mail backends: articles are deleted after one week,
14841 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14842 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14843 duplicate the behavior you already have with another backend.
14845 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14846 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14847 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14848 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14849 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14850 backends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14851 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14852 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14853 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14857 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14858 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14859 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14860 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14861 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overridable by
14862 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14863 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14864 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14865 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14866 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14867 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14868 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14871 If this is set to a string (a full Gnus group name, like
14872 @code{"backend+server.address.string:group.name"}), and if it is not
14873 the name of the same group that the parameter belongs to, then
14874 articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry before
14875 being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14876 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14877 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
14878 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
14879 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
14880 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14881 article. So that form can refer to
14882 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14883 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
14884 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
14885 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
14888 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14889 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14890 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14891 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14892 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14893 directory of another maildir - e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14894 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14895 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14896 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
14897 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
14898 extra copies of the articles.
14900 @item directory-files
14901 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
14902 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
14903 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
14904 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
14906 @item distrust-Lines:
14907 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
14908 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
14909 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
14912 A list of mark symbols, such as
14913 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
14914 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
14915 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
14916 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
14917 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14918 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14921 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
14922 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
14923 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
14924 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
14925 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
14926 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14927 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14929 @item nov-cache-size
14930 An integer specifying the size of the NOV memory cache. To speed
14931 things up, nnmaildir keeps NOV data in memory for a limited number of
14932 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
14933 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
14934 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened - i.e.,
14935 when you first start Gnus, typically. The NOV cache is never resized
14936 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
14937 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
14938 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
14939 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
14942 @subsubsection Article identification
14943 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
14944 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
14945 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
14946 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
14947 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
14948 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
14949 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
14950 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
14951 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
14952 request the article in the summary buffer.
14954 @subsubsection NOV data
14955 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its NOV data (used to
14956 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
14957 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
14958 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
14959 need for it - an article's NOV data is updated automatically when the
14960 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
14961 nnmaildir to regenerate the NOV data for a single article simply by
14962 deleting the corresponding NOV file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
14963 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
14964 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
14966 @subsubsection Article marks
14967 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
14968 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
14969 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
14970 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
14971 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
14972 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
14973 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
14974 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
14976 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
14977 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
14978 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
14979 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
14980 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
14981 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
14982 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
14983 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
14984 changes, and might undo them.
14988 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14990 @cindex mbox folders
14991 @cindex mail folders
14993 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14994 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14995 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14998 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15000 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15001 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15002 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15003 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15004 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15005 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15006 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
15007 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
15008 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
15009 @code{nnfolder} directory).
15011 Virtual server settings:
15014 @item nnfolder-directory
15015 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15016 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
15017 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15020 @item nnfolder-active-file
15021 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15022 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15024 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15025 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15026 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15027 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15029 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15030 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15031 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
15034 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15035 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15036 @cindex backup files
15037 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15038 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
15039 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
15040 your @file{.emacs} file:
15043 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15044 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15046 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15049 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15050 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15051 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15052 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15053 extract some information from it before removing it.
15055 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15056 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15057 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
15058 default is @code{nil}.
15060 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15061 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15062 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15064 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15065 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15066 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
15067 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15069 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15070 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15071 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15072 default is @code{nil}.
15074 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15075 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15076 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15078 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15079 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15080 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
15081 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15086 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15087 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15088 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15089 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15090 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15091 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15094 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15095 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15097 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15098 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15099 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15100 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15101 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15103 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15104 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15105 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15106 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
15107 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15108 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15109 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15110 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15113 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15114 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15115 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15116 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15121 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15122 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15123 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15124 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15125 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15126 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15127 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15128 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15129 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15130 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15131 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15132 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15133 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15138 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15139 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15140 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15141 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15142 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15143 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15144 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15145 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15146 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
15147 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15148 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15149 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15150 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
15151 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15153 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15154 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15159 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15160 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15161 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15162 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15163 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15164 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15165 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15166 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15167 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15168 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15169 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15170 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15171 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15172 provided by the active file and overviews.
15174 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15175 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15176 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15177 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15178 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15181 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15182 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15187 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15188 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15189 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
15190 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15191 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15192 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15193 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15197 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15198 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15199 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15200 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15201 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15202 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15203 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15204 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15205 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15207 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15208 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15209 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15210 friendly mail back end all over.
15214 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15215 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15218 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15219 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15220 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15221 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15222 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15223 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15224 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
15225 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
15228 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15229 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15230 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
15231 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15232 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15233 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15234 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15235 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15236 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15237 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15238 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15240 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15241 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15242 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15243 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15244 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15247 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15248 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15249 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15250 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15251 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15252 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15253 removed in the future.
15255 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15256 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15257 on your file system.
15259 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15260 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15265 @node Browsing the Web
15266 @section Browsing the Web
15268 @cindex browsing the web
15272 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15273 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15274 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15275 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15276 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15277 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15278 even know what a news group is.
15280 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15281 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15282 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15283 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15284 you mad in the end.
15286 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15289 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15290 interfaces to these sources.
15294 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15295 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15296 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15297 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15298 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15299 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15302 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15304 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15305 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
15306 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15307 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15308 though, you should be ok.
15310 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15311 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15312 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15313 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15314 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15316 @node Archiving Mail
15317 @subsection Archiving Mail
15318 @cindex archiving mail
15319 @cindex backup of mail
15321 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15322 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15323 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15324 marks is fairly simple.
15326 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15327 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15330 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15331 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15332 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15333 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15334 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15335 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15336 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15337 before you restore the data.
15339 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15340 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15341 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15342 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15343 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15344 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15345 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15346 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15347 is unnecessary in that case.
15350 @subsection Web Searches
15355 @cindex Usenet searches
15356 @cindex searching the Usenet
15358 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15359 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15360 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15361 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15362 searches without having to use a browser.
15364 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15365 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15366 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15367 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15368 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15370 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15371 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15372 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15373 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15374 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15375 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15376 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15377 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15378 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15379 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15382 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15383 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15384 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15385 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15386 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15387 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15389 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15390 to use @code{nnweb}.
15392 Virtual server variables:
15397 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15398 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15399 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15402 @vindex nnweb-search
15403 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15405 @item nnweb-max-hits
15406 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15407 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15410 @item nnweb-type-definition
15411 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15412 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15413 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15418 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15422 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15425 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15428 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15432 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15439 @subsection Slashdot
15443 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
15444 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15445 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15447 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15448 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15451 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15452 '((nnslashdot "")))
15455 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15456 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15457 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15458 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15459 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15462 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15463 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15465 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15466 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
15467 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15468 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15469 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
15470 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15473 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15476 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15477 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15478 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15479 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15480 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15481 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15482 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15484 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15485 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15486 The login name to use when posting.
15488 @item nnslashdot-password
15489 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15490 The password to use when posting.
15492 @item nnslashdot-directory
15493 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15494 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15495 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15497 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15498 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15499 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15500 news articles and comments. The default is
15501 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15503 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15504 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15505 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15507 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15509 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15510 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15511 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15513 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15515 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15516 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15517 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15519 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15520 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15521 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15522 updated. The default is 0.
15529 @subsection Ultimate
15531 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15533 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
15534 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15535 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15536 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15538 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15539 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15540 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15541 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15542 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15543 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15544 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15546 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15549 @item nnultimate-directory
15550 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15551 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
15552 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15557 @subsection Web Archive
15559 @cindex Web Archive
15561 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15562 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15563 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15564 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15567 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15568 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15569 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15570 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
15571 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
15572 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15573 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15574 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15576 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15579 @item nnwarchive-directory
15580 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15581 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
15582 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15584 @item nnwarchive-login
15585 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15586 The account name on the web server.
15588 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15589 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15590 The password for your account on the web server.
15598 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15599 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15600 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15603 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15604 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15607 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15610 @item nnrss-directory
15611 @vindex nnrss-directory
15612 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15613 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15617 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15618 the summary buffer.
15621 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15622 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15624 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15626 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15627 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15630 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15633 (require 'browse-url)
15635 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15637 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15640 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15641 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15644 (browse-url (cdr url))
15645 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15646 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15648 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15649 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15650 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15651 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15654 @node Customizing w3
15655 @subsection Customizing w3
15661 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15662 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15663 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15665 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15666 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15667 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15670 (eval-after-load "w3"
15672 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15673 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15674 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15675 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15677 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15680 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15681 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15690 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15691 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15692 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15693 specify the network address of the server.
15695 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15696 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15697 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15698 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15699 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15701 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15702 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15703 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15704 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15706 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15707 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15708 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15709 usage explained in this section.
15711 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15712 might look something like the following. (Note that for TLS/SSL, you
15713 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15716 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15717 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15718 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15720 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15721 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15722 ; a UW server running on localhost
15724 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15725 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15726 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15727 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15728 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15729 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15730 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15731 (nnimap-stream network))
15732 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15734 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15735 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15736 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15739 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15740 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15741 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15742 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15744 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15749 @item nnimap-address
15750 @vindex nnimap-address
15752 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15753 server name if not specified.
15755 @item nnimap-server-port
15756 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15757 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for TLS/SSL.
15759 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15762 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15763 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15766 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15767 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15768 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15769 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15770 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15771 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15772 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15774 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15775 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15776 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15779 Example server specification:
15782 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15783 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15784 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15787 @item nnimap-stream
15788 @vindex nnimap-stream
15789 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15790 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15791 of TLS/SSL. (@sc{imap} over TLS/SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15792 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15794 Example server specification:
15797 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15798 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15801 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15805 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15806 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15808 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15810 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15811 TLS/SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15814 @dfn{tls:} Connect through TLS. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15815 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15817 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15818 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15820 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15822 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15825 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15826 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15827 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15828 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15829 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15830 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15831 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15832 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15833 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15836 For TLS connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15837 needed. It is available from
15838 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15840 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
15841 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
15842 authenticated IMAP stream in a subshell. They are tried sequentially
15843 until a connection is made, or the list has been exhausted. By
15844 default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
15845 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
15846 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
15849 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15850 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15851 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15852 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15853 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15854 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15855 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15858 @vindex imap-shell-program
15859 @vindex imap-shell-host
15860 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15861 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15863 @item nnimap-authenticator
15864 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15866 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15867 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15869 Example server specification:
15872 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15873 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15876 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15880 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15881 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
15883 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15886 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15887 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15889 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15891 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15893 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15896 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15898 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15899 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15900 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15901 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15902 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15903 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15906 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15907 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15908 running in circles yet?
15910 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15911 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15914 The possible options are:
15919 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
15922 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15923 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15924 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15925 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15927 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15932 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15933 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15935 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15936 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15937 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15938 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15939 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15942 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15943 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15946 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15947 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15948 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15949 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15952 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15953 as ticked for other users.
15955 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15957 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15959 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15960 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15961 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15962 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15964 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15965 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15966 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15967 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15969 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15970 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15972 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15973 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15974 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15980 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15981 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15982 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15983 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
15984 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15989 @node Splitting in IMAP
15990 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15991 @cindex splitting imap mail
15993 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15994 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15995 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15996 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15997 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
16001 Here are the variables of interest:
16005 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16006 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16008 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16010 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
16011 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
16013 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16015 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16016 @cindex splitting, inbox
16018 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16020 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
16021 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
16025 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16026 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16029 No nnmail equivalent.
16031 @item nnimap-split-rule
16032 @cindex Splitting, rules
16033 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16035 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16038 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16039 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
16040 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16041 Neither did I, we need examples.
16044 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16046 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16047 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16048 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16051 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16052 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16053 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16055 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
16056 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16060 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16063 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16064 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16066 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16067 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16068 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
16069 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16071 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16072 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16073 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16074 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16075 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16076 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16078 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16079 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16080 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16082 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16083 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16084 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16086 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16088 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16089 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16090 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16093 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16094 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16095 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
16096 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16097 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16098 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
16101 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16102 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16103 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16104 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16105 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16106 group/function elements.
16108 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16110 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16112 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16114 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16115 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16117 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
16118 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16119 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16122 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16123 @cindex splitting, fancy
16124 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16125 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16127 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16128 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16129 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16131 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16132 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16133 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16134 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16139 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16140 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16143 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16145 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16146 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16147 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16149 Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
16150 generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
16151 may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
16152 analyses the body to split the article.
16156 @node Expiring in IMAP
16157 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16158 @cindex expiring imap mail
16160 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16161 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16162 Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
16163 not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16164 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16165 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16168 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
16169 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16170 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16171 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16172 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16173 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16174 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16175 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16179 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16180 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16182 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16183 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16185 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16187 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16188 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16189 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
16190 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16194 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16195 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16196 @cindex editing imap acls
16197 @cindex Access Control Lists
16198 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
16200 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16202 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
16203 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16204 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16207 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16208 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
16209 editing window with detailed instructions.
16211 Some possible uses:
16215 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16216 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16217 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16219 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16220 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16221 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
16225 @node Expunging mailboxes
16226 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16230 @cindex Manual expunging
16232 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16234 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16235 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16236 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16238 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16241 @node A note on namespaces
16242 @subsection A note on namespaces
16243 @cindex IMAP namespace
16246 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
16247 following text in the RFC:
16250 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16252 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16253 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16254 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16255 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16257 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16258 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16259 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16260 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16261 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16262 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16265 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
16266 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
16267 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16269 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
16270 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
16271 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
16272 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
16273 the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
16274 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
16275 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
16276 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
16278 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16279 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16280 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16282 @node Other Sources
16283 @section Other Sources
16285 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16286 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16290 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16291 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16292 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16293 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16294 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16298 @node Directory Groups
16299 @subsection Directory Groups
16301 @cindex directory groups
16303 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16304 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16307 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16308 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16309 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16310 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16312 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16313 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16314 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16315 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16316 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16318 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
16320 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16321 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16322 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16323 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16326 @node Anything Groups
16327 @subsection Anything Groups
16330 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16331 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16332 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16335 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16336 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16337 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16338 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16339 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16340 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16341 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16342 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16343 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16344 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16347 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16348 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16349 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16350 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16352 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16353 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16354 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16355 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16357 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16358 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16359 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16360 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16361 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16362 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16363 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16364 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16369 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16370 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16371 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16372 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16374 @item nneething-exclude-files
16375 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16376 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16377 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16379 @item nneething-include-files
16380 @vindex nneething-include-files
16381 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16382 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16384 @item nneething-map-file
16385 @vindex nneething-map-file
16386 Name of the map files.
16390 @node Document Groups
16391 @subsection Document Groups
16393 @cindex documentation group
16396 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16397 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16404 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
16409 The standard Unix mbox file.
16411 @cindex MMDF mail box
16413 The MMDF mail box format.
16416 Several news articles appended into a file.
16419 @cindex rnews batch files
16420 The rnews batch transport format.
16421 @cindex forwarded messages
16424 Forwarded articles.
16427 Netscape mail boxes.
16430 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
16432 @item standard-digest
16433 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16436 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
16438 @item lanl-gov-announce
16439 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16441 @item rfc822-forward
16442 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16445 The Outlook mail box.
16448 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16451 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16454 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16457 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16463 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16466 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16472 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16473 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16474 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16477 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16478 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16479 group. And that's it.
16481 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16482 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16483 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16484 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16485 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16486 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16487 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16488 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16489 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16490 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16492 Virtual server variables:
16495 @item nndoc-article-type
16496 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16497 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16498 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16499 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16500 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16501 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16503 @item nndoc-post-type
16504 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16505 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16506 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16511 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16515 @node Document Server Internals
16516 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16518 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16519 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16520 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16521 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16523 First, here's an example document type definition:
16527 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16528 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16531 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16532 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16533 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16534 types can be defined with very few settings:
16537 @item first-article
16538 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16539 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16542 @item article-begin
16543 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16544 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16546 @item head-begin-function
16547 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16550 @item nndoc-head-begin
16551 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16554 @item nndoc-head-end
16555 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16556 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16558 @item body-begin-function
16559 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16563 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16566 @item body-end-function
16567 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16571 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16574 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16575 regexp will be totally ignored.
16579 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16580 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16581 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16582 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16583 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16586 @item prepare-body-function
16587 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16588 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16589 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16591 @item article-transform-function
16592 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16593 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16594 body of the article.
16596 @item generate-head-function
16597 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16598 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16599 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16600 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16604 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16609 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16610 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16611 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16612 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16613 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16614 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16615 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16616 (subtype digest guess))
16619 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16620 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16621 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16622 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16623 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16625 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16626 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16627 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16628 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16629 The alist is traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is
16630 called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is
16631 called to see whether a document is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on.
16632 These type predicates should return @code{nil} if the document is not
16633 of the correct type; @code{t} if it is of the correct type; and a
16634 number if the document might be of the correct type. A high number
16635 means high probability; a low number means low probability with
16636 @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16644 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16645 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16646 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16648 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16649 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16650 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16653 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16654 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16655 that interested in doing things properly.
16657 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16658 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16661 First some terminology:
16666 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16667 get news and/or mail from.
16670 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16671 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16674 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16678 @item message packets
16679 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16680 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16681 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16683 @item response packets
16684 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16685 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16686 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16696 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16697 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16698 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16699 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16702 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16705 You put the packet in your home directory.
16708 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16709 the native or secondary server.
16712 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16713 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16716 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16720 You transfer this packet to the server.
16723 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16726 You then repeat until you die.
16730 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16731 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16734 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16735 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16736 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16740 @node SOUP Commands
16741 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16743 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16747 @kindex G s b (Group)
16748 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16749 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16750 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16751 process/prefix convention.
16754 @kindex G s w (Group)
16755 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16756 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16759 @kindex G s s (Group)
16760 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16761 Send all replies from the replies packet
16762 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16765 @kindex G s p (Group)
16766 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16767 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16770 @kindex G s r (Group)
16771 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16772 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16775 @kindex O s (Summary)
16776 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16777 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16778 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16779 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16784 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16789 @item gnus-soup-directory
16790 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16791 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16792 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16794 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16795 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16796 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16797 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16799 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16800 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16801 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16802 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16804 @item gnus-soup-packer
16805 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16806 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16807 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16809 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16810 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16811 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16812 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16814 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16815 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16816 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16818 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16819 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16820 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16821 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16827 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16830 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16831 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16832 you can read them at leisure.
16834 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16838 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16839 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16840 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16841 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16843 @item nnsoup-directory
16844 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16845 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16846 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16848 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16849 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16850 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16851 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16853 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16854 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16855 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16856 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16857 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16859 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16860 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16861 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16862 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16864 @item nnsoup-active-file
16865 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16866 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16867 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16868 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16869 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16871 @item nnsoup-packer
16872 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16873 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16874 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16876 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16877 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16878 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16879 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16881 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16882 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16883 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16886 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16887 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16888 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16891 @item nnsoup-always-save
16892 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16893 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16899 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16901 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16902 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16903 more for that to happen.
16905 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16906 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16907 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16910 In specific, this is what it does:
16913 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16914 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16917 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16918 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16919 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16922 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16923 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16924 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16927 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16928 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16929 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16931 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16937 @item nngateway-address
16938 @vindex nngateway-address
16939 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16941 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16942 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16943 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16944 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16945 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16946 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16947 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16950 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16951 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16952 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16955 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16958 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16961 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16964 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16966 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16969 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16970 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16971 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16973 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16975 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16976 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16977 @code{nngateway-address}.
16982 (setq gnus-post-method
16984 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16985 (nngateway-header-transformation
16986 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16994 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16997 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17002 @node Combined Groups
17003 @section Combined Groups
17005 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17009 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17010 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17014 @node Virtual Groups
17015 @subsection Virtual Groups
17017 @cindex virtual groups
17018 @cindex merging groups
17020 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17023 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17024 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17025 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17027 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17028 regexp to match component groups.
17030 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17031 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17032 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17033 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17034 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17035 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17036 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17037 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17039 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17040 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17043 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17046 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17047 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17049 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17050 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17051 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17052 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17055 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17058 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17059 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17060 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17062 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17063 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17064 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17065 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17066 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17068 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17069 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17070 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17072 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17073 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17074 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17075 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17076 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17077 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17078 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17079 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17080 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17081 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17082 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17084 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17085 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17086 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17087 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17088 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17089 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17090 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17092 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17093 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17095 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17096 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17100 @node Kibozed Groups
17101 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17105 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
17106 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
17107 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
17108 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17110 @kindex G k (Group)
17111 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17114 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17115 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17116 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
17117 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17119 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
17120 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
17121 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17123 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17124 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17125 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17126 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
17127 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
17128 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
17129 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
17130 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17132 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17133 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17134 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17135 Stranger things have happened.
17137 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17138 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17140 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17141 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17142 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
17143 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
17144 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
17145 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
17147 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17148 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
17151 @node Gnus Unplugged
17152 @section Gnus Unplugged
17157 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
17159 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17160 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17161 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17162 read news. Believe it or not.
17164 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17165 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17166 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17167 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17168 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17170 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17171 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17172 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17173 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17174 reading news on a machine.
17176 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17177 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17179 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17182 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17183 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17184 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17185 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17186 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17187 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17188 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
17189 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17190 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17191 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17192 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17193 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17198 @subsection Agent Basics
17200 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17202 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17203 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17204 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17205 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17207 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17208 connected to the net continuously.
17210 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17211 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17213 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17218 @findex gnus-unplugged
17219 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17220 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17221 already fetched while in this mode.
17224 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17225 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17226 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17227 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
17228 Source Specifiers}).
17231 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
17232 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
17233 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
17234 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
17235 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
17238 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17239 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17240 then you read the news offline.
17243 And then you go to step 2.
17246 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17252 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17253 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17254 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17255 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17256 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17257 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17258 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17259 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17263 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17264 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17265 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17266 is probably best to start with a category @xref{Agent Categories}.
17268 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17269 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17270 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17271 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17272 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17273 your policy, you can use grou parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17277 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17281 @node Agent Categories
17282 @subsection Agent Categories
17284 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17285 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17286 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17287 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17288 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17289 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17290 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17292 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17293 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17294 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17295 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17296 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17298 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17299 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17300 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17301 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17302 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17305 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17306 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17307 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17308 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17309 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17310 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17314 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17315 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17316 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17320 @node Category Syntax
17321 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17323 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17324 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17325 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17329 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17330 The name of the category.
17332 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17333 The list of groups that are in this category.
17335 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17336 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17337 are eligible for downloading; and
17339 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17340 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17341 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17342 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17344 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17345 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17346 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17347 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17348 only groups that should not be expired.
17350 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17351 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17352 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17354 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17355 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17357 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17358 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17360 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17361 an integer that overrides the value of
17362 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17364 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17365 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17368 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17371 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17372 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17373 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17376 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17377 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17378 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17379 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17381 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17382 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17383 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17385 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17386 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17387 operators sprinkled in between.
17389 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17391 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17392 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17398 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17399 short (for some value of ``short'').
17401 Here's a more complex predicate:
17410 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17411 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17414 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17415 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17416 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17418 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17419 you want to do, you can write your own.
17421 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17422 bound to the value determined by calling
17423 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17424 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17425 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17426 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17427 predicate to individual groups.
17431 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17432 lines; default 100.
17435 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17436 lines; default 200.
17439 True iff the article has a download score less than
17440 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17443 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17444 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17447 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17448 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17449 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17458 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17459 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17460 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17463 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17464 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17465 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17466 something along the lines of the following:
17469 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17470 "Say whether an article is old."
17471 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17472 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17475 with the predicate then defined as:
17478 (not my-article-old-p)
17481 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17482 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17486 (require 'gnus-agent)
17487 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17488 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17489 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17492 and simply specify your predicate as:
17498 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17499 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17500 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17501 just don't give a damn.
17503 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17504 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17505 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17506 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
17507 parameters like so:
17510 (agent-predicate . short)
17513 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17514 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17515 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17517 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17520 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17523 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17524 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17525 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17528 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17529 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17530 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17531 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17532 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17533 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17535 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17536 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17537 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17538 if it's to be specific to that group.
17540 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17547 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17548 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17554 Category specification
17558 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17564 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17567 (agent-score ("from"
17568 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17573 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17579 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17580 keywords stated above.
17586 Category specification
17589 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17595 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17599 Group Parameter specification
17602 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17605 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17610 Use @code{normal} score files
17612 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17613 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17614 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17615 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17617 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17618 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17619 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17620 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17624 Category Specification
17631 Group Parameter specification
17634 (agent-score . file)
17639 @node Category Buffer
17640 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17642 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17643 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17644 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17646 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17650 @kindex q (Category)
17651 @findex gnus-category-exit
17652 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17655 @kindex e (Category)
17656 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17657 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17658 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17661 @kindex k (Category)
17662 @findex gnus-category-kill
17663 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17666 @kindex c (Category)
17667 @findex gnus-category-copy
17668 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17671 @kindex a (Category)
17672 @findex gnus-category-add
17673 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17676 @kindex p (Category)
17677 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17678 Edit the predicate of the current category
17679 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17682 @kindex g (Category)
17683 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17684 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17685 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17688 @kindex s (Category)
17689 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17690 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17691 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17694 @kindex l (Category)
17695 @findex gnus-category-list
17696 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17700 @node Category Variables
17701 @subsubsection Category Variables
17704 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17705 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17706 Hook run in category buffers.
17708 @item gnus-category-line-format
17709 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17710 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17711 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17715 The name of the category.
17718 The number of groups in the category.
17721 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17722 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17723 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17725 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17726 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17727 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17729 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17730 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17731 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17733 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17734 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17735 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17738 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17739 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17740 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17743 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17744 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17745 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17746 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17747 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17748 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17749 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17750 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17754 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17755 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17756 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17757 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17758 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17759 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17760 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17765 @node Agent Commands
17766 @subsection Agent Commands
17767 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17768 @kindex J j (Agent)
17770 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17771 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17772 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17776 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17777 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17778 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17784 @node Group Agent Commands
17785 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17789 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17790 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17791 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17792 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17795 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17796 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17797 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17800 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17801 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17802 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17803 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17806 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17807 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17808 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17809 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17812 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17813 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17814 Add the current group to an Agent category
17815 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17816 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17819 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17820 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17821 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17822 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17823 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17826 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17827 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17828 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17834 @node Summary Agent Commands
17835 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17839 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17840 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17841 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17844 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17845 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17846 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17847 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17851 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17852 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17853 Toggle whether to download the article
17854 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
17858 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17859 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17860 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17863 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17864 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17865 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17866 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17869 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17870 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17871 Download all processable articles in this group.
17872 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17875 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17876 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17877 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17878 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17883 @node Server Agent Commands
17884 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17888 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17889 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17890 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17891 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17894 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17895 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17896 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17897 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17902 @node Agent as Cache
17903 @subsection Agent as Cache
17905 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17906 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17907 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17908 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17909 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17910 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17911 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17912 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17913 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17915 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17916 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
17917 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
17918 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
17919 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap backend.
17922 @subsection Agent Expiry
17924 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17925 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17926 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17927 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
17928 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
17929 @cindex Agent expiry
17930 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17933 The Agent backend, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
17934 least it doesn't handle it like other backends. Instead, there are
17935 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
17936 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
17937 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
17938 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
17939 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
17940 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
17942 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
17943 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
17944 synchronized with the group.
17946 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
17947 prevent expiration in selected groups.
17949 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17950 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
17951 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
17952 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
17953 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
17954 be kept indefinitely.
17956 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17957 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
17958 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
17959 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
17961 @node Agent Regeneration
17962 @subsection Agent Regeneration
17964 @cindex Agent Regeneration
17965 @cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
17966 @cindex regeneration
17968 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
17969 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
17970 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
17971 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
17972 internal inconsistencies.
17974 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
17975 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
17976 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
17977 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
17978 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
17979 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
17981 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17982 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
17983 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
17984 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
17985 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
17986 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
17988 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17989 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17990 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
17991 of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
17992 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
17993 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
17996 @node Agent and IMAP
17997 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17999 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18000 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
18001 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18002 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
18004 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18005 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18006 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18007 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18009 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18010 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18011 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18012 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18014 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18015 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18016 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18017 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18018 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18019 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18021 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18022 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18023 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18024 in the group buffer.
18026 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18027 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
18032 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18035 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18039 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18040 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18041 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18042 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
18043 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18044 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18045 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18046 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18049 @node Outgoing Messages
18050 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18052 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18053 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18054 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18056 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18057 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18058 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18059 messages in the draft group.
18063 @node Agent Variables
18064 @subsection Agent Variables
18067 @item gnus-agent-directory
18068 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18069 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18070 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18072 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18073 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18074 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18075 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18076 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18079 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18080 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18081 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18083 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18084 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18085 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18087 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18088 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18089 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18091 @item gnus-agent-cache
18092 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18093 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
18094 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18095 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18097 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18098 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18099 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18100 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18101 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18102 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18103 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18106 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18107 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18108 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18109 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18110 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18111 read. The default is t.
18113 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18114 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18115 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18116 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
18117 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
18119 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18120 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18121 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18122 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18123 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18124 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18125 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18126 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18127 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18128 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18129 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18130 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18133 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18134 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18135 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18136 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18137 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18138 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18139 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18140 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18141 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18143 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18144 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18145 Another variable that isn't a Agent variable, yet so closely related
18146 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18147 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18148 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18150 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18151 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18152 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18153 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18154 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18159 @node Example Setup
18160 @subsection Example Setup
18162 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18163 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18164 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18167 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
18168 ;;; from your ISP's server.
18169 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18171 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
18172 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
18173 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18175 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
18176 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18178 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
18179 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
18180 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
18183 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18184 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18187 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18188 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18189 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18190 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18191 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18194 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18195 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18196 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18197 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18198 back all the killed groups.)
18200 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18201 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18202 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18205 @node Batching Agents
18206 @subsection Batching Agents
18207 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18209 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18210 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18211 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18213 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18214 following incantation:
18218 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18222 @node Agent Caveats
18223 @subsection Agent Caveats
18225 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18226 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18230 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18232 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18233 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18234 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18236 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18237 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18239 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18243 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18244 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18245 locally stored articles.
18252 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18253 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18254 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18257 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18258 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18259 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18260 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18261 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18263 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18264 before generating the summary buffer.
18266 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18267 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18268 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18270 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18271 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18272 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18273 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18276 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18277 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18278 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18279 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18280 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18281 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18282 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18283 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18284 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18285 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18286 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18287 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18288 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18289 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18290 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18291 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18292 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18296 @node Summary Score Commands
18297 @section Summary Score Commands
18298 @cindex score commands
18300 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18301 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18302 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18303 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18304 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18306 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18307 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18308 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18309 score file the current one.
18311 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18316 @kindex V s (Summary)
18317 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18318 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18321 @kindex V S (Summary)
18322 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18323 Display the score of the current article
18324 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18327 @kindex V t (Summary)
18328 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18329 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18330 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18331 can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
18332 When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
18333 bring you to this string in the score file.
18336 @kindex V w (Summary)
18337 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18338 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18341 @kindex V R (Summary)
18342 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18343 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18344 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18345 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18346 effect you're having.
18349 @kindex V c (Summary)
18350 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18351 Make a different score file the current
18352 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18355 @kindex V e (Summary)
18356 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18357 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18358 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18362 @kindex V f (Summary)
18363 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18364 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18365 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18368 @kindex V F (Summary)
18369 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18370 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18371 after editing score files.
18374 @kindex V C (Summary)
18375 @findex gnus-score-customize
18376 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18377 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18381 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18386 @kindex V m (Summary)
18387 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18388 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18389 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18392 @kindex V x (Summary)
18393 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18394 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18395 expunge all articles below this score
18396 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18399 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18400 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18403 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18404 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18408 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18409 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18411 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18412 keys are available:
18416 Score on the author name.
18419 Score on the subject line.
18422 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18425 Score on the @code{References} line.
18431 Score on the number of lines.
18434 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18437 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18438 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18441 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18442 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18443 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18452 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18458 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18459 what headers you are scoring on.
18471 Substring matching.
18474 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18503 Greater than number.
18508 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18509 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18510 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18515 Temporary score entry.
18518 Permanent score entry.
18521 Immediately scoring.
18525 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18526 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18527 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18531 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18532 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18533 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18534 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18536 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18537 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18538 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18539 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18540 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18542 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18543 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18544 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18545 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18546 current score file.
18548 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18549 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18550 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18553 @node Group Score Commands
18554 @section Group Score Commands
18555 @cindex group score commands
18557 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18562 @kindex W f (Group)
18563 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18564 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18565 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18566 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18570 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18572 @findex gnus-batch-score
18573 @cindex batch scoring
18575 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18579 @node Score Variables
18580 @section Score Variables
18581 @cindex score variables
18585 @item gnus-use-scoring
18586 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18587 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18588 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18590 @item gnus-kill-killed
18591 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18592 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18593 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18594 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18595 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18596 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18597 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18599 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18600 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18601 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18602 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18603 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18605 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18606 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18607 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18608 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18610 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18611 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18612 @cindex score cache
18613 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18614 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18615 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18616 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18617 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18618 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18619 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18622 @item gnus-save-score
18623 @vindex gnus-save-score
18624 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18625 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18626 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18628 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18629 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18630 across group visits.
18632 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18633 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18634 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18635 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18636 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18637 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18638 manually entered data.
18640 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18641 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18642 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18644 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18645 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18646 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18647 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18648 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18649 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18651 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18652 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18653 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18654 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18656 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18657 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18658 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18659 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18661 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18662 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18663 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18664 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18666 Predefined functions available are:
18669 @item gnus-score-find-single
18670 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18671 Only apply the group's own score file.
18673 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18674 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18675 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18676 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18677 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18678 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18679 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18680 then a regexp match is done.
18682 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18683 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18685 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18686 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18687 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18688 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18690 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18691 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18692 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18693 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18694 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18698 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18699 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18700 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18701 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18702 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18703 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18704 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18707 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18708 overall score file, you could use the value
18710 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18711 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18714 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18715 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18716 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18717 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18718 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18720 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18721 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18722 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18723 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18724 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18725 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18726 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18727 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18729 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18730 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18731 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18733 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18734 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18735 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
18736 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18737 threading---according to the current value of
18738 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
18739 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18740 simplified in this manner.
18745 @node Score File Format
18746 @section Score File Format
18747 @cindex score file format
18749 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18750 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18751 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18753 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18757 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18759 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18761 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18763 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18768 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18772 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18773 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18774 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18775 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18779 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18780 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18782 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
18783 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18784 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18786 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18791 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18792 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18793 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18794 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18795 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18796 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18797 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18798 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18799 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18800 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18801 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18802 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18803 to articles that matches these score entries.
18805 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18806 score entry has one to four elements.
18810 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18811 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18815 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18816 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18817 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18818 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18819 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18820 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18823 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18824 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18825 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18826 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18827 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18830 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18831 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18832 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18833 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18836 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18837 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18838 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18839 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18840 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18841 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18842 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18843 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18844 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18845 instead, if you feel like.
18848 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18849 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18850 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18851 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18852 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18853 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18856 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18860 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18861 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18863 These predicates are true if
18866 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18869 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18870 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18877 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18878 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18879 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18880 it's not. I think.)
18882 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18883 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18884 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18885 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18888 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18889 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18890 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18891 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18892 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18893 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18894 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18898 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18899 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18900 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18901 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18902 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18903 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18904 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18905 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18908 @item Head, Body, All
18909 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18913 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18914 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18915 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18916 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18917 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18918 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18919 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18923 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18924 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18925 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18926 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18927 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18928 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18929 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18930 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18931 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18932 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18933 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18937 @cindex Score File Atoms
18939 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18940 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18943 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18944 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18946 @item mark-and-expunge
18947 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18948 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18951 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18952 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18953 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18954 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18955 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18958 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18959 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18962 @item exclude-files
18963 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18964 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18968 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18969 ignored when handling global score files.
18972 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18973 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18974 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18975 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18978 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18979 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18980 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18981 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18983 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18987 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18990 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18991 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18992 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18993 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18994 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18996 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18997 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18998 scoring rules exist.
19001 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19002 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19003 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19004 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19005 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19006 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19007 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19008 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19009 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19010 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19011 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19015 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19016 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19017 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19018 file for a number of groups.
19021 @cindex local variables
19022 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19023 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19024 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19025 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19026 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19031 @node Score File Editing
19032 @section Score File Editing
19034 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19035 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19036 with a mode for that.
19038 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19039 additional commands:
19044 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19045 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19046 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19047 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19050 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19051 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19052 Insert the current date in numerical format
19053 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19054 you were wondering.
19057 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19058 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19059 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19060 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19061 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19066 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19068 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19069 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19071 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19072 e} to begin editing score files.
19075 @node Adaptive Scoring
19076 @section Adaptive Scoring
19077 @cindex adaptive scoring
19079 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19080 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19081 stupidity, to be precise.
19083 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19084 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19085 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19086 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19087 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19088 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19089 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19090 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19091 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19093 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19094 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19095 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19096 might look something like this:
19099 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19100 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19101 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19102 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19103 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19104 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19105 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19106 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19107 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19108 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19109 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19110 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19113 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19114 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19115 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19116 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19117 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19118 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19121 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19122 will be applied to each article.
19124 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19125 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19126 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19127 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19129 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19130 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19131 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19132 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19134 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19135 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19136 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19137 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19139 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19140 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19141 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19142 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19143 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19144 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19146 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19147 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19148 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19150 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19151 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19152 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19154 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19155 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19156 let you use different rules in different groups.
19158 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19159 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19160 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19163 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19164 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19165 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19166 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19167 the length of the match is less than
19168 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19169 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19172 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19173 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19174 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19175 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19176 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19179 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19180 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19181 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19182 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19183 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19186 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19187 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19188 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19189 score with 30 points.
19191 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19192 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19193 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19194 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19195 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19197 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19198 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19199 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19200 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19201 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19203 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19204 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19205 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19206 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19208 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19209 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19210 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19211 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19213 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19214 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19215 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19216 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19217 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19219 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19220 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19221 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19223 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19224 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19225 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19226 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19229 @node Home Score File
19230 @section Home Score File
19232 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19233 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19234 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19235 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19237 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19238 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19239 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19241 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19242 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19247 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19251 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19252 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19256 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19260 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19261 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19264 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
19265 the home score file.
19268 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19271 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19276 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19279 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19280 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19283 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19284 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19286 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19288 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19289 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19292 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19293 Other functions include
19296 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19297 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19298 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19299 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19303 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19304 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19305 their own home score files:
19308 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19309 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
19310 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19311 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
19312 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19315 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19316 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19317 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19318 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19319 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19321 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19322 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19323 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19324 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19325 precedence over this variable.
19328 @node Followups To Yourself
19329 @section Followups To Yourself
19331 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19332 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19333 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19334 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19335 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19336 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19340 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19341 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19342 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19345 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19346 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19347 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19351 @vindex message-sent-hook
19352 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19353 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19355 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19359 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19360 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19364 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19365 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19368 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19369 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19374 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19378 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19379 is system-dependent.
19382 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19383 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19384 @cindex scoring on other headers
19386 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19387 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19388 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19389 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19390 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19392 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19393 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
19394 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
19395 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
19396 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19398 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19401 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19402 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19405 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19406 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19407 time if you have much mail.
19409 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19410 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19416 @section Scoring Tips
19417 @cindex scoring tips
19423 @cindex scoring crossposts
19424 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19425 the @code{Xref} header.
19427 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19430 @item Multiple crossposts
19431 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19432 more than, say, 3 groups:
19435 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19439 @item Matching on the body
19440 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19441 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19442 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19443 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19444 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19445 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19446 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19449 @item Marking as read
19450 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19451 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19452 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19456 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19458 @item Negated character classes
19459 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19460 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19461 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19465 @node Reverse Scoring
19466 @section Reverse Scoring
19467 @cindex reverse scoring
19469 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19470 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19471 like this in your score file:
19475 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19480 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19481 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19484 @node Global Score Files
19485 @section Global Score Files
19486 @cindex global score files
19488 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19489 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19490 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19492 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19493 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19494 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19496 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19497 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19498 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19499 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19500 files are applicable to which group.
19502 To use the score file
19503 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19504 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19508 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19509 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19510 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19513 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19515 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19516 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19517 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19518 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19520 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19521 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19523 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19524 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19525 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19526 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19527 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19528 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19530 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19536 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19538 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19540 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19542 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19543 lowered out of existence.
19545 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19546 articles completely.
19549 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19550 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19551 old articles for a long time.
19554 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19555 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19556 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19557 holding our breath yet?
19561 @section Kill Files
19564 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19565 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19566 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19568 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19569 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19570 files into score files.
19572 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19573 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19574 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19575 that isn't a very good idea.
19577 Normal kill files look like this:
19580 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19581 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19585 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19586 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19588 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19589 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19592 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
19597 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19598 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19599 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19602 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19603 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19604 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19607 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19612 @kindex M-k (Group)
19613 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19614 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19617 @kindex M-K (Group)
19618 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19619 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19622 Kill file variables:
19625 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19626 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19627 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19628 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19629 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19630 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19631 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19633 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19634 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19635 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19636 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19639 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19640 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19641 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19642 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19643 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19644 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19645 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19646 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19647 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19649 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19650 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19651 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19656 @node Converting Kill Files
19657 @section Converting Kill Files
19659 @cindex converting kill files
19661 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19662 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19663 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19666 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19667 You can fetch it from
19668 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19670 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19671 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19672 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19680 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
19681 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19682 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19683 news articles generated every day.
19685 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19686 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19687 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19688 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19689 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19690 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19691 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19692 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19695 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19696 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19699 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19700 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19701 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19702 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19706 @node Using GroupLens
19707 @subsection Using GroupLens
19709 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
19711 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
19712 better bit in town at the moment.
19714 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19718 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19719 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19720 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19721 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19723 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19724 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19725 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19726 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19728 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19729 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19730 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19734 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19735 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19736 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19737 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19738 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19739 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19742 @node Rating Articles
19743 @subsection Rating Articles
19745 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19746 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19747 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19748 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19751 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19756 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19757 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19758 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19761 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19762 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19763 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19764 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19765 threads in rec.humor.
19769 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19770 the score of the article you're reading.
19775 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19776 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19777 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19780 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19781 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19782 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19786 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19787 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19790 @node Displaying Predictions
19791 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19793 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19794 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19795 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19796 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19797 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19799 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19800 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19801 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19802 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19803 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19804 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19805 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19806 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19807 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19808 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19809 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19810 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19811 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19813 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19814 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19815 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19816 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19818 The following are valid values for that variable.
19821 @item prediction-spot
19822 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19825 @item confidence-interval
19826 A numeric confidence interval.
19828 @item prediction-bar
19829 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19831 @item confidence-bar
19832 Numerical confidence.
19834 @item confidence-spot
19835 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19837 @item prediction-num
19838 Plain-old numeric value.
19840 @item confidence-plus-minus
19841 Prediction +/- confidence.
19846 @node GroupLens Variables
19847 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19851 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19852 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19853 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19854 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19857 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19858 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19861 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19862 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19864 @item grouplens-score-offset
19865 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19866 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19869 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19870 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19871 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19876 @node Advanced Scoring
19877 @section Advanced Scoring
19879 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19880 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19881 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19882 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19883 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19885 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19889 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19890 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19891 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19895 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19896 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19898 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19899 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19900 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19901 non-@code{nil} value.
19903 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19904 operator, and various match operators.
19911 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19912 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19913 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19918 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19919 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19920 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19925 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19926 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19930 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19931 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19932 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19933 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19934 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19935 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19936 the ancestry you want to go.
19938 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19939 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19940 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19941 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19942 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19945 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19946 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19948 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19949 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19952 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19953 when he's talking about Gnus:
19957 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19958 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19964 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19968 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19975 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19976 really don't want to read what he's written:
19980 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19981 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19985 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19986 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19987 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19994 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19995 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19996 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19997 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20001 The possibilities are endless.
20004 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20005 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20007 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20008 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20009 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20010 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20011 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20012 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20013 @samp{subject}) first.
20015 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20016 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20027 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20028 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20034 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20041 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20042 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20047 @section Score Decays
20048 @cindex score decays
20051 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20052 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20053 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20054 use them in any sensible way.
20056 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20057 @findex gnus-decay-score
20058 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20059 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20060 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20061 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20062 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20063 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20064 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20065 definition of that function:
20068 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20070 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20071 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20074 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
20076 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20078 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20081 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20082 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20083 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20084 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20088 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20091 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20094 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20098 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20099 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20100 the new score, which should be an integer.
20102 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20103 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20108 @include message.texi
20109 @chapter Emacs MIME
20110 @include emacs-mime.texi
20112 @include sieve.texi
20122 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20123 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20124 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20125 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20126 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20127 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20128 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20129 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20130 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20131 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20132 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20133 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20134 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20135 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20136 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20137 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20138 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20139 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20140 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20144 @node Process/Prefix
20145 @section Process/Prefix
20146 @cindex process/prefix convention
20148 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20149 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20151 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20152 command to be performed on.
20156 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20157 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20158 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20159 with the current one.
20161 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20162 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20163 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20165 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20166 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20169 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20170 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20172 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20175 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20176 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20177 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20178 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20180 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20181 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20182 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20183 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20184 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20185 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20186 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20187 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20189 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20190 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20191 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20192 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20193 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20197 @section Interactive
20198 @cindex interaction
20202 @item gnus-novice-user
20203 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20204 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20205 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20206 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20207 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20210 @item gnus-expert-user
20211 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20212 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20213 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20214 matter how strange.
20216 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20217 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20218 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20219 is @code{t} by default.
20221 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20222 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20223 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20228 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20229 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20230 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20232 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20233 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20234 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20235 rule of 900 to the current article.
20237 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20238 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20239 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20240 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20241 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20242 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20243 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20245 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20246 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20247 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20248 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20249 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20250 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20251 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20252 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20253 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20255 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20256 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20257 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20259 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20263 @node Formatting Variables
20264 @section Formatting Variables
20265 @cindex formatting variables
20267 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20268 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20269 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20270 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20271 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20274 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20275 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20276 lots of percentages everywhere.
20279 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20280 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20281 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20282 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20283 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20284 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20285 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20286 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20289 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20290 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20291 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20292 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20293 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20294 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20295 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20296 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20298 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20299 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20301 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20302 @findex gnus-update-format
20303 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20304 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20305 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20306 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20310 @node Formatting Basics
20311 @subsection Formatting Basics
20313 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20314 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20315 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20317 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20318 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20319 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20320 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20321 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20324 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20325 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20326 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20327 less than 4 characters wide.
20329 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20330 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20333 @node Mode Line Formatting
20334 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20336 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20337 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20338 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20339 with the following two differences:
20344 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20347 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20348 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20349 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20350 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20351 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20352 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20353 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20358 @node Advanced Formatting
20359 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20361 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20362 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20363 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20364 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20366 These are the valid modifiers:
20371 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20375 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20380 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20383 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20388 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20391 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20394 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20397 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20403 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20408 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20409 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20410 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20411 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20412 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20413 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20414 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20416 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20417 last operation, padding.
20419 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20420 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20421 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20422 @xref{Compilation}.
20425 @node User-Defined Specs
20426 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20428 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20429 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20430 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20431 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20432 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20433 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20434 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20435 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20436 should protect against that.
20438 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20439 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20441 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20442 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20443 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20444 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20448 @node Formatting Fonts
20449 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20451 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20452 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20453 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20454 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20457 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20458 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20459 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20460 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20461 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20462 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20464 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20465 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20466 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20467 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20468 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20469 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20470 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20471 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20472 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20473 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20474 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20477 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20480 ;; Create three face types.
20481 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20482 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20484 ;; We want the article count to be in
20485 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
20486 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
20487 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20489 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20490 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20492 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
20493 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20494 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20497 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20498 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20500 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20501 mode-line variables.
20503 @node Positioning Point
20504 @subsection Positioning Point
20506 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20507 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20508 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20510 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20512 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20513 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20514 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20516 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20517 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20518 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20523 @subsection Tabulation
20525 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20526 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20527 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20528 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20530 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
20531 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20533 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20534 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20535 This is the soft tabulator.
20537 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20538 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20539 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20542 @node Wide Characters
20543 @subsection Wide Characters
20545 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20546 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20547 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20549 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20550 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20551 these countries, that's not true.
20553 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20554 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20555 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20556 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20560 @node Window Layout
20561 @section Window Layout
20562 @cindex window layout
20564 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20566 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20567 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20568 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20569 @code{t} by default.
20571 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20572 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20574 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20575 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20576 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20579 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20580 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20581 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20585 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20586 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20587 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20588 possible names is listed below.
20590 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20591 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20594 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20598 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20599 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20600 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20601 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20602 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20603 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20604 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20605 size spec per split.
20607 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20608 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20609 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20610 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20611 present) gets focus.
20613 Here's a more complicated example:
20616 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20617 (summary 0.25 point)
20618 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20622 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20623 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20624 occupy, not a percentage.
20626 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20627 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20628 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20629 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20630 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20633 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20636 (article (horizontal 1.0
20641 (summary 0.25 point)
20646 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20647 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20649 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20650 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20651 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20652 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20653 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20655 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20656 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20657 lines from the splits.
20659 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20663 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20664 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20665 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20666 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20667 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20668 size = number | frame-params
20669 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20672 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20673 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20674 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20675 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20677 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20678 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20679 @cindex window height
20680 @cindex window width
20681 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20682 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20683 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20684 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20685 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20686 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20688 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20689 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20690 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20691 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20693 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20694 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20695 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20696 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20697 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20698 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20699 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20700 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20701 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20702 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20703 configuration list.
20706 (gnus-configure-frame
20710 (article 0.3 point))
20718 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20719 @code{frame} split:
20722 (gnus-configure-frame
20725 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20727 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20728 (user-position . t)
20729 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20734 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20735 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20736 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20737 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20738 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20739 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20740 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20741 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20743 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20744 be found in its default value.
20746 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20747 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20748 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20752 (message (horizontal 1.0
20753 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20755 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20760 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20761 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20762 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20767 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20768 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20769 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20770 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20771 (name . "Message"))
20772 (message 1.0 point))))
20775 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20776 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20777 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20778 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20779 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20782 (gnus-add-configuration
20783 '(article (vertical 1.0
20785 (summary .25 point)
20789 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20790 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20791 Gnus has been loaded.
20793 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20794 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20795 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20796 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20797 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20799 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20800 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20801 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20804 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20808 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20809 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20824 (gnus-add-configuration
20827 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20829 (summary 0.16 point)
20832 (gnus-add-configuration
20835 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20836 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20842 @node Faces and Fonts
20843 @section Faces and Fonts
20848 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20849 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20850 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20855 @section Compilation
20856 @cindex compilation
20857 @cindex byte-compilation
20859 @findex gnus-compile
20861 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20862 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20863 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
20864 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20865 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20866 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20869 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20870 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20871 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20872 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
20873 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
20874 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
20875 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
20879 @section Mode Lines
20882 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20883 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20884 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20885 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20886 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20887 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20888 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20891 @cindex display-time
20893 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20894 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20895 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20896 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20897 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20898 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20899 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20900 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20903 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20905 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20906 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20908 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20909 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20910 (length display-time-string)))))
20913 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20914 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20915 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20916 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20917 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20920 @node Highlighting and Menus
20921 @section Highlighting and Menus
20923 @cindex highlighting
20926 @vindex gnus-visual
20927 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20928 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20929 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20932 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20933 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20936 @item group-highlight
20937 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20938 @item summary-highlight
20939 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20940 @item article-highlight
20941 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20943 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20945 Create menus in the group buffer.
20947 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20949 Create menus in the article buffer.
20951 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20953 Create menus in the server buffer.
20955 Create menus in the score buffers.
20957 Create menus in all buffers.
20960 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20961 buffers, you could say something like:
20964 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20967 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20970 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20973 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20974 in all Gnus buffers.
20976 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20979 @item gnus-mouse-face
20980 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20981 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20982 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20986 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20990 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20991 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20992 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20994 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20995 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20996 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20998 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20999 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21000 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21002 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21003 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21004 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21006 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21007 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21008 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21010 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21011 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21012 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21023 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21024 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21025 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21026 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21027 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21031 @vindex gnus-carpal
21032 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21033 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21034 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21039 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21040 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21041 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21043 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21044 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21045 Face used on buttons.
21047 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21048 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21049 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21051 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21052 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21053 Buttons in the group buffer.
21055 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21056 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21057 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21059 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21060 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21061 Buttons in the server buffer.
21063 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21064 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21065 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21068 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21069 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21070 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21078 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21079 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21080 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21081 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21082 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21084 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21085 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21086 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21088 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21089 been idle for thirty minutes:
21092 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21095 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
21099 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21102 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
21103 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21104 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21106 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21107 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21108 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21109 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21111 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21112 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21113 @var{idle} minutes.
21115 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21116 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21119 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21120 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21121 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21123 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21124 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21125 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21126 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21128 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21129 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21131 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21133 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21136 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21137 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21138 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21139 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21140 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21141 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21142 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21143 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21144 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21145 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21146 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21148 @findex gnus-demon-init
21149 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21150 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21151 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21152 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21153 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21155 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21156 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21157 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21166 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21167 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21169 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21170 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21171 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21172 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21175 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21176 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21177 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21178 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21180 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21181 this will make spam disappear.
21183 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21186 @item gnus-use-nocem
21187 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21188 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21191 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21192 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21193 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21194 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21195 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
21197 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21198 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21199 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21200 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
21201 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
21202 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21204 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
21205 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21207 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21208 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21209 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21210 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21211 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21212 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21213 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21214 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21215 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21216 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21218 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21219 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21222 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21225 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21226 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21229 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21232 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21235 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21236 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21238 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21239 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21240 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21241 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21243 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21244 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21247 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21249 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21257 This might be dangerous, though.
21259 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21260 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21261 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
21262 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21264 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21265 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21266 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21267 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21268 might then see old spam.
21270 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21271 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21272 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21273 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21274 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21277 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21278 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21279 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21280 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21284 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21285 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21286 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21287 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21294 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21295 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21296 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21298 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21299 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21300 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21301 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21302 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21303 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21304 @code{undo} function.
21306 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21307 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21308 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21309 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21310 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21311 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21312 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21313 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21314 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21315 never be totally undoable.
21317 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21318 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21320 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21321 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21322 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21323 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21327 @node Predicate Specifiers
21328 @section Predicate Specifiers
21329 @cindex predicate specifiers
21331 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21332 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21333 to type all that much.
21335 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21340 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21341 gnus-article-unread-p)
21344 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21345 functions all take one parameter.
21347 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21348 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21349 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21350 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21355 @section Moderation
21358 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21359 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21360 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21363 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21367 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21370 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21372 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21377 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21378 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21379 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21382 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21383 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21386 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21387 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21391 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21394 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21395 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21399 @node Image Enhancements
21400 @section Image Enhancements
21402 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
21403 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
21406 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21407 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21408 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21409 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21422 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21423 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
21424 over your shoulder as you read news.
21426 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21435 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21436 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21437 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21438 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21439 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21440 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21441 @code{GIF} formats.
21444 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21445 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21446 point your Web browser at
21447 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21449 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21450 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21452 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21453 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21456 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21460 @item gnus-picon-databases
21461 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21462 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21463 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21464 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21465 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21467 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21468 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21469 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21470 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21472 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21473 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21474 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21475 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21477 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21478 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21479 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21480 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21481 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21483 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21484 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21485 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21486 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
21491 @subsection Smileys
21496 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21501 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21502 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21504 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21505 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21508 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21511 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21512 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21513 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21514 text and maps that to file names.
21516 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21517 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21518 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21519 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21520 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21523 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21528 @item smiley-data-directory
21529 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21530 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21532 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21533 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21534 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21543 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21544 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21545 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21549 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21550 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
21551 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21552 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21560 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21561 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21562 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21563 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21565 The variable that controls this is the
21566 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21567 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21568 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21569 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21570 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21572 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21573 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21574 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21575 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21578 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21579 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21580 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21581 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21582 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21583 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21584 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21585 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21587 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21590 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21591 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21593 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21594 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21595 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21596 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21597 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21598 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21599 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21600 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21601 header data as a string.
21603 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21604 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21605 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21606 randomly generated data.
21608 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21609 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21610 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21611 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21612 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21614 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21615 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21618 (setq message-required-news-headers
21619 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21620 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21623 Using the last function would be something like this:
21626 (setq message-required-news-headers
21627 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21628 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21629 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21630 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21635 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21638 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21639 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21640 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21641 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21642 unusual directory structure.
21644 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21645 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21646 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21647 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21649 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21650 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21651 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21652 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21653 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21654 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21656 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21657 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21658 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21663 @subsubsection Toolbar
21667 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21668 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21669 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21670 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21671 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21673 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21674 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21675 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21677 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21678 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21679 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21681 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21682 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21683 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21694 @node Fuzzy Matching
21695 @section Fuzzy Matching
21696 @cindex fuzzy matching
21698 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21699 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21701 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21702 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21703 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21705 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21706 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21707 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21708 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21709 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21712 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21713 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21717 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21719 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21720 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21721 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21722 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21723 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21724 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21725 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21726 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21729 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21730 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21731 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21732 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21733 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21734 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21736 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21739 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21740 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21741 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21742 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21743 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21744 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21747 @node The problem of spam
21748 @subsection The problem of spam
21750 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21751 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21753 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21755 First, some background on spam.
21757 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21758 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21759 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21760 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21761 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21762 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21763 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21764 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21766 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21767 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21768 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21769 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21770 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21771 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21772 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21773 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21774 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21777 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21778 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21779 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21780 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21781 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21782 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21783 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21784 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21785 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21786 mail can be useful.
21788 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21789 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21790 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21791 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21792 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21793 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21794 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21795 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21796 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21798 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21799 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21800 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21801 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21802 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21803 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21804 because of the incident.
21806 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21807 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21808 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21809 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21810 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21811 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21812 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21813 to store the database of spam analyses.
21815 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21816 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21820 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21822 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21823 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21825 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21826 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21827 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21828 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21829 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21830 part of the mail address.)
21833 (setq message-default-news-headers
21834 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21837 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21838 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21843 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21844 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21845 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21851 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21852 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21853 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21854 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21856 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21857 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21858 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21859 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21860 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21861 your fancy split rule in this way:
21866 (to "larsi" "misc")
21870 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21871 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21872 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21873 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21874 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21876 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21877 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21878 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21879 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21880 cosmic balance somewhat.
21882 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21883 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21884 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21885 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21890 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21891 @cindex SpamAssassin
21892 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21895 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21896 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21897 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21898 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21899 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21900 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21901 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21903 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21904 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21905 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21906 Specifiers}) follows.
21910 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21913 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21916 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21917 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21918 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21921 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21925 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21928 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21929 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21933 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21934 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21935 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21936 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21939 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21941 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21943 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21944 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21946 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21948 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21949 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21953 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21954 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21955 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21958 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21959 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21961 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21962 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21963 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21967 @subsection Hashcash
21970 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21971 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21972 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21973 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21974 in smaller communities.
21976 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21977 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21978 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21979 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21980 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21981 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21982 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21983 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21984 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21985 one of them separately.
21988 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21989 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21990 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21991 header. For more details, and for the external application
21992 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21993 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21994 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21996 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22000 (require 'hashcash)
22001 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22004 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
22005 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
22006 development contrib directory.
22008 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22012 @item hashcash-default-payment
22013 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22014 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22015 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22016 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22018 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22019 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22020 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22021 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22022 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22023 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22024 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22025 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22026 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22030 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22034 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22035 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22036 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22037 a useful contribution, however.
22039 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22040 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22041 @cindex spam filtering
22044 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22045 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
22046 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22047 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
22050 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
22051 the following keyboard commands:
22061 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22062 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22064 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22065 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22066 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22067 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22073 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22074 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22076 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22082 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22083 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22086 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22087 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22088 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22089 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22090 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22091 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22092 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22093 will be detected later.
22095 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22096 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22097 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22098 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22099 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22100 by customizing the corresponding variable
22101 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22102 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22103 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22104 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22105 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22106 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22107 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22110 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22111 they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
22112 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
22113 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
22114 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
22115 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
22116 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
22117 will study them as spam samples.
22119 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22120 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
22121 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22122 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22123 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22124 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22125 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22126 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
22128 @defvar spam-ham-marks
22129 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
22130 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
22131 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22134 @defvar spam-spam-marks
22135 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
22136 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
22139 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22140 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22141 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22142 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22143 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22144 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22147 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22148 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22149 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22150 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22151 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22152 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22153 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22154 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22155 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
22156 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22157 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
22159 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22160 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22162 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22163 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22164 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22165 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22166 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22167 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22168 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
22169 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
22170 the spam articles are only expired.
22172 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22173 must add the following to your fancy split list
22174 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22180 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22181 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22182 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22184 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22185 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22186 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22187 but you can customize it.
22189 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22191 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22192 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22193 the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
22194 message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
22195 or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
22196 message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
22197 because it will slow IMAP down.
22199 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22201 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22202 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22203 longer spam or ham.}
22205 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22206 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22209 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22210 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22213 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22214 * BBDB Whitelists::
22216 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22218 * ifile spam filtering::
22219 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22220 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22223 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22224 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22225 @cindex spam filtering
22226 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22227 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22230 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22232 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22233 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22234 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22235 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22240 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22242 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22243 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22244 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22245 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22246 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22250 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22252 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22253 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22254 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22258 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22260 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22261 customizing the group parameters or the
22262 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22263 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22264 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22268 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22270 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22271 customizing the group parameters or the
22272 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22273 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22274 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22275 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22276 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22280 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22281 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22282 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22283 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22284 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22286 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22287 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22288 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22289 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22291 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22292 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22293 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22294 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22295 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22296 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22298 @node BBDB Whitelists
22299 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22300 @cindex spam filtering
22301 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22302 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22305 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22307 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22308 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22309 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22310 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22311 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22312 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22313 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22317 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22319 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22320 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22321 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22322 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22323 classified as spammers.
22327 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22329 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22330 customizing the group parameters or the
22331 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22332 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22333 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22334 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22335 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22340 @subsubsection Blackholes
22341 @cindex spam filtering
22342 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22345 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22347 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22348 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22349 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22350 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22351 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22352 contains outdated servers.
22354 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22355 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22356 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
22357 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
22358 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
22359 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22363 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22365 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22369 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22371 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22372 blackhole server list. When set to nil, it has no effect.
22376 @defvar spam-use-dig
22378 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22379 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22383 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22384 ham processor for blackholes.
22386 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22387 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22388 @cindex spam filtering
22389 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22392 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22394 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22395 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22396 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22397 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22398 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22399 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22403 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22405 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22406 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22410 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22412 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22413 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22417 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22418 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22421 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22422 @cindex spam filtering
22423 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22426 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22428 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22431 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22432 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22433 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22434 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22435 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22436 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22438 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
22439 threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
22442 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22443 processing will be turned off.
22445 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22449 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22451 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22452 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22453 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22454 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22455 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22456 installation documents for details.
22458 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22462 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22463 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22464 customizing the group parameters or the
22465 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22466 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22467 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22470 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22471 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22472 customizing the group parameters or the
22473 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22474 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22475 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22476 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22477 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22480 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22482 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22483 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22484 database directory.
22488 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
22489 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22490 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22491 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22492 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22493 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22495 @node ifile spam filtering
22496 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22497 @cindex spam filtering
22498 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22501 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22503 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
22504 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22508 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22510 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22511 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22512 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22516 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22518 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22519 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22520 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22523 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22525 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22526 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22530 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22531 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22532 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22533 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22536 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22537 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22538 @cindex spam filtering
22539 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22543 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22545 @defvar spam-use-stat
22547 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22548 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22552 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22553 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22554 customizing the group parameters or the
22555 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22556 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22557 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22560 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22561 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22562 customizing the group parameters or the
22563 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22564 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22565 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22566 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22567 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22570 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
22571 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
22572 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
22573 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
22576 @node Extending the spam elisp package
22577 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
22578 @cindex spam filtering
22579 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
22580 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
22582 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
22583 incoming mail, provide the following:
22591 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
22592 "True if blackbox should be used.")
22597 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
22599 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
22604 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
22605 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
22606 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
22608 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
22609 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
22610 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
22614 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
22621 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
22622 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
22625 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22626 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
22627 Only applicable to spam groups.")
22629 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22630 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
22631 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
22639 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
22640 (spam-generic-register-routine
22641 ;; the spam function
22643 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22644 (when (stringp from)
22645 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
22646 ;; the ham function
22649 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
22650 (spam-generic-register-routine
22651 ;; the spam function
22653 ;; the ham function
22655 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22656 (when (stringp from)
22657 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
22660 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
22661 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
22662 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
22663 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
22664 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
22665 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
22670 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22671 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22672 @cindex Paul Graham
22673 @cindex Graham, Paul
22674 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
22675 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
22676 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
22678 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
22679 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
22680 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
22681 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
22682 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
22683 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
22684 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
22685 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
22686 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
22689 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
22690 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
22691 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
22692 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
22693 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
22694 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
22695 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
22696 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
22698 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
22699 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
22700 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
22701 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
22702 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
22705 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
22706 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
22707 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
22710 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22711 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22713 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
22714 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
22715 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
22716 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
22717 need several hundred emails in both collections.
22719 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
22720 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
22721 per mail. Use the following:
22723 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
22724 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
22725 is treated as one spam mail.
22728 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
22729 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22730 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22733 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22734 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22735 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22736 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22737 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22738 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22740 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
22741 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
22742 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22743 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22744 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22747 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
22748 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22749 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22750 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22753 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22754 reset the dictionary.
22756 @defun spam-stat-reset
22757 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22760 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22761 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22762 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22763 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22764 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22765 only non-spam mails.
22767 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22768 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22769 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22772 @defun spam-stat-save
22773 Save the dictionary.
22776 @defvar spam-stat-file
22777 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22778 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22781 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22782 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22784 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22785 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22788 (require 'spam-stat)
22792 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22795 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22796 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22797 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22798 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22800 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22801 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22802 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22803 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22806 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22807 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22811 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22812 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22815 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22816 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22817 expression are considered potential spam.
22820 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22821 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22822 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22826 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22827 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22828 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22829 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22830 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22833 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22834 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22835 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22839 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22840 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22841 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22842 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22843 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22847 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22848 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22849 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22850 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22855 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22856 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22858 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22860 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22861 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22862 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22865 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22866 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22867 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22870 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22871 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22872 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22873 already been processed as non-spam.
22876 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22877 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22878 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22879 been processed as spam.
22882 @defun spam-stat-save
22883 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22884 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22887 @defun spam-stat-load
22888 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22889 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22892 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22893 Return the spam score for a word.
22896 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22897 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22900 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22901 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22902 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22905 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22906 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22909 (require 'spam-stat)
22913 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22916 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22917 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22918 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22919 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22920 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22921 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22922 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22923 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22924 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22925 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22926 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22927 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22928 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22929 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22932 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22935 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22936 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22937 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22938 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22939 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22940 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22943 @node Various Various
22944 @section Various Various
22950 @item gnus-home-directory
22951 @vindex gnus-home-directory
22952 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
22953 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
22955 @item gnus-directory
22956 @vindex gnus-directory
22957 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
22958 this variable, which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment
22959 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22961 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
22962 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22963 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22964 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22966 @item gnus-default-directory
22967 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22968 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22969 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22970 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22971 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22972 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22973 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22976 @vindex gnus-verbose
22977 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22978 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22979 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22980 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22981 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22983 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22984 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22985 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22986 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22988 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22989 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22990 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22991 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22992 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22993 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22994 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22995 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22996 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22997 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22999 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
23000 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
23001 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
23002 read when doing the operation described above.
23004 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23005 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23007 @cindex invalid characters in file names
23008 @cindex characters in file names
23009 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
23010 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
23011 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
23014 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23018 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
23019 Windows (phooey) systems.
23021 @item gnus-hidden-properties
23022 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
23023 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
23024 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
23025 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
23027 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
23028 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
23029 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
23030 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
23031 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
23033 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
23034 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
23035 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
23037 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23038 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23040 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
23041 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
23042 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
23043 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
23046 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
23054 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
23055 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
23057 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23059 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23065 Not because of victories @*
23068 but for the common sunshine,@*
23070 the largess of the spring.
23074 but for the day's work done@*
23075 as well as I was able;@*
23076 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23077 but at the common table.@*
23082 @chapter Appendices
23085 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23086 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23087 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23088 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23089 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23090 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23091 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23092 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23093 * Frequently Asked Questions::
23100 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
23102 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23103 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23104 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23105 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23106 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23107 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23114 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23115 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23117 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23118 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23119 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23120 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23121 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23123 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23124 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23125 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23126 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23127 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23128 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23130 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23131 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23132 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23133 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23136 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23137 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23138 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23139 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23140 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23141 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23142 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23143 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23144 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23148 @node Gnus Versions
23149 @subsection Gnus Versions
23151 @cindex September Gnus
23153 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23154 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23157 @cindex Gnus versions
23159 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23160 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23161 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23163 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23164 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23166 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23167 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23169 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23170 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23172 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23173 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23176 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23178 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23179 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23180 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23181 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23182 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23183 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23186 @node Other Gnus Versions
23187 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23190 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23191 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23192 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
23193 @sc{mime} capabilities.
23195 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23196 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23197 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23198 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23205 What's the point of Gnus?
23207 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23208 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23209 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23210 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23211 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23212 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23213 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23214 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23215 keep track of millions of people who post?
23217 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23218 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23219 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23220 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23221 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23222 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23223 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23224 every one of you to explore and invent.
23226 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23227 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23230 @node Compatibility
23231 @subsection Compatibility
23233 @cindex compatibility
23234 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23235 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23236 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23241 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23245 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23248 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23251 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23252 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23253 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23254 important variables have their values copied into their global
23255 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23256 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23258 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23259 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23260 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23261 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23262 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23266 @cindex highlighting
23267 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23268 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23269 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23270 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23271 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23272 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23275 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23276 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23277 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23278 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23280 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23281 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23282 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23283 to stop doing it the old way.
23285 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23287 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23289 @cindex reporting bugs
23291 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23292 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23293 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23295 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23296 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23297 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23298 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23303 @subsection Conformity
23305 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23306 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23314 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23318 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23320 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23321 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23322 We do have some breaches to this one.
23328 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23329 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23330 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23331 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23332 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23337 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23338 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23339 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23340 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23342 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23344 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
23346 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23347 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23349 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23352 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
23353 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
23354 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
23355 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
23356 decoding (verification and decryption).
23358 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23359 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23360 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23361 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23363 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23364 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
23366 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23367 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
23368 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
23369 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
23370 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
23371 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
23372 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
23376 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23377 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23382 @subsection Emacsen
23388 Gnus should work on :
23396 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
23400 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23401 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23404 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23405 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23406 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23410 @node Gnus Development
23411 @subsection Gnus Development
23413 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23414 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23415 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23416 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23417 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23418 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23419 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23420 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23422 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23423 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23424 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23425 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23426 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23429 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23430 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23431 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23432 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23433 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23435 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23436 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23437 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23438 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23439 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23440 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23441 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23442 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23443 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23444 can't be assumed to do so.
23449 @subsection Contributors
23450 @cindex contributors
23452 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23453 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23454 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23455 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23456 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23457 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23458 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23459 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23460 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23461 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23463 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23469 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23472 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23473 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
23474 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23475 functionality and stuff.
23478 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23479 well as numerous other things).
23482 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
23485 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
23488 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
23491 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
23494 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
23495 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
23498 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
23501 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
23502 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23505 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
23508 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
23511 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
23514 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
23517 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
23518 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
23521 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
23524 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
23527 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
23530 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
23534 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
23537 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
23540 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
23543 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
23544 well as autoconf support.
23548 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
23549 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
23551 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
23566 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
23568 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
23572 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
23582 Alexei V. Barantsev,
23597 Massimo Campostrini,
23602 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
23603 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
23607 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
23610 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
23616 Michael Welsh Duggan,
23621 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
23625 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
23633 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
23635 Michelangelo Grigni,
23639 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
23641 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
23643 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
23650 François Felix Ingrand,
23651 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
23652 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
23654 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
23664 Peter Skov Knudsen,
23665 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
23667 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
23668 Thor Kristoffersen,
23671 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
23689 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
23690 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
23697 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
23702 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
23706 John McClary Prevost,
23712 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
23717 Christian von Roques,
23720 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
23727 Philippe Schnoebelen,
23729 Randal L. Schwartz,
23743 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23748 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23768 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23769 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23770 (550kB and counting).
23772 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23775 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23776 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23780 @subsection New Features
23781 @cindex new features
23784 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23785 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23786 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23787 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23788 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23791 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23792 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23793 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23796 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23798 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23803 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
23804 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
23807 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
23808 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
23811 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
23814 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
23815 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
23816 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23819 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23820 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23821 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23822 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23825 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23826 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23829 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23830 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23831 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23834 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23835 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23838 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23839 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23840 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23843 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23844 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23845 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23848 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
23849 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
23852 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23853 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23856 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23857 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23860 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23861 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23864 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23865 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23868 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23869 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23872 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23875 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23876 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23879 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23880 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23883 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23884 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23887 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23890 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23891 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23894 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23898 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23902 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23903 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23906 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23912 @node September Gnus
23913 @subsubsection September Gnus
23917 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23921 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23926 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23927 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23931 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23932 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23936 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23940 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23941 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23944 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23948 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23951 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23954 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23957 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23961 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23962 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23965 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23969 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23973 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23977 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23981 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23984 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23985 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23988 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23992 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23993 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23996 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23999 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
24000 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
24001 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24004 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
24008 The Gnus cache is much faster.
24011 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
24015 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
24016 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24019 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
24020 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
24023 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
24024 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
24027 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
24028 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
24029 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
24032 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
24033 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
24036 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
24039 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24042 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
24045 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
24048 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
24049 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
24052 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
24056 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
24059 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
24064 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24067 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24071 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24074 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24078 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24081 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24084 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24085 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24088 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24089 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24093 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24094 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24097 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24101 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24102 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24105 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24108 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24112 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24116 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24117 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24120 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24124 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24125 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24128 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24129 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24132 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24136 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24139 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24142 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24148 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24150 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24154 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24161 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24164 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24165 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24168 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24169 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24173 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24174 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24177 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24180 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24181 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24184 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24188 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24189 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24193 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24194 Server Internals}).
24197 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24201 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24204 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24205 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24208 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24209 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24210 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24213 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24214 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24217 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24218 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24221 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24225 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24226 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24229 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24230 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24233 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24237 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24240 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24244 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24245 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24248 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24249 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24252 A new command for reading collections of documents
24253 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24254 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24257 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24261 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
24262 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24265 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24266 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24267 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24270 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24271 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24275 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24279 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24283 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24288 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24292 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24296 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24297 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24300 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24306 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24308 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24313 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24314 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
24315 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
24318 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24319 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24320 group, which is created automatically.
24323 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24327 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24330 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24331 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24334 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24338 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24341 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24342 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24345 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24348 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section ``Symbolic
24349 Prefixes'' in the Gnus manual for details.
24352 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24353 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24356 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24357 control over simplification.
24360 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24363 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24367 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24370 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24373 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24374 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24375 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24378 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24379 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24382 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24386 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24387 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24390 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24391 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
24394 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24398 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24401 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24404 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24405 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24408 A new function for citing in Message has been
24409 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24412 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24415 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24419 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24420 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24423 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24424 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24427 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24430 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24434 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24435 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24437 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24442 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24443 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24445 If you used procmail like in
24448 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24449 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24450 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24451 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24454 this now has changed to
24458 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24462 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
24463 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
24466 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24467 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24470 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24471 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24474 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24475 called to position point.
24478 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24479 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
24482 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
24483 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
24486 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
24487 subtly different manner.
24490 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
24491 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
24492 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
24495 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
24503 @section The Manual
24507 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
24508 either @code{texi2dvi}
24510 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
24511 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
24513 to get what you hold in your hands now.
24515 The following conventions have been used:
24520 This is a @samp{string}
24523 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
24526 This is a @file{file}
24529 This is a @code{symbol}
24533 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
24537 (setq flargnoze "yes")
24540 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
24543 (setq flumphel 'yes)
24546 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
24547 ever get them confused.
24551 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
24552 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
24553 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
24554 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
24555 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
24556 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
24557 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
24563 @node On Writing Manuals
24564 @section On Writing Manuals
24566 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
24567 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
24568 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
24569 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
24570 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
24571 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
24574 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
24575 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
24576 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
24579 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
24580 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
24585 @section Terminology
24587 @cindex terminology
24592 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
24593 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
24594 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
24595 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
24596 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
24600 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
24601 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
24602 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
24603 not posting, and replying is not following up.
24607 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
24611 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
24616 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
24617 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
24618 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
24619 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
24620 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
24621 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
24622 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
24623 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
24624 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
24626 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
24627 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
24628 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
24629 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
24630 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
24633 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
24634 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
24635 access the articles.
24637 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
24638 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
24639 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
24644 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
24645 default, way of getting news.
24649 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
24650 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
24655 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
24656 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
24660 A message that has been posted as news.
24663 @cindex mail message
24664 A message that has been mailed.
24668 A mail message or news article
24672 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
24677 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
24682 A line from the head of an article.
24686 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
24687 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
24691 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
24692 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
24693 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
24694 normal @sc{head} format.
24698 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
24699 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
24700 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
24701 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
24702 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
24703 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
24705 @item killed groups
24706 @cindex killed groups
24707 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
24708 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
24710 @item zombie groups
24711 @cindex zombie groups
24712 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
24715 @cindex active file
24716 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
24717 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
24718 is rather large, as you might surmise.
24721 @cindex bogus groups
24722 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
24723 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
24724 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
24727 @cindex activating groups
24728 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
24729 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
24730 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
24734 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
24736 @item select method
24737 @cindex select method
24738 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
24741 @item virtual server
24742 @cindex virtual server
24743 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
24744 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
24745 whole is a virtual server.
24749 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
24750 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
24753 @item ephemeral groups
24754 @cindex ephemeral groups
24755 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
24756 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
24757 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
24760 @cindex solid groups
24761 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
24762 group buffer are solid groups.
24764 @item sparse articles
24765 @cindex sparse articles
24766 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
24767 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
24771 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
24772 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
24776 @cindex thread root
24777 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
24778 articles in the thread.
24782 An article that has responses.
24786 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
24790 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
24791 specified by RFC 1153.
24797 @node Customization
24798 @section Customization
24799 @cindex general customization
24801 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
24802 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
24803 for some quite common situations.
24806 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
24807 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
24808 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
24809 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
24813 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
24814 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
24816 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
24817 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24818 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24822 @item gnus-read-active-file
24823 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24824 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24825 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24826 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24827 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24829 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24830 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24831 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24832 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24836 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24837 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24839 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24840 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24841 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24845 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24846 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24847 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24848 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24849 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24851 @item gnus-visible-headers
24852 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24853 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24854 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24855 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24857 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24859 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24860 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24861 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24864 @item gnus-use-full-window
24865 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24866 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24867 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24868 want to read them anyway.
24870 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24871 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24875 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24876 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24877 lines, which might save some time.
24881 @node Little Disk Space
24882 @subsection Little Disk Space
24885 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24886 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24890 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24891 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24892 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24893 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24896 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24897 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24898 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24899 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24902 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24903 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24904 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24905 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24906 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24912 @subsection Slow Machine
24913 @cindex slow machine
24915 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24916 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24918 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24919 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24921 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24922 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24923 summary buffer faster.
24927 @node Troubleshooting
24928 @section Troubleshooting
24929 @cindex troubleshooting
24931 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24939 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24942 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24943 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24947 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24948 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
24949 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
24950 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24953 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24957 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24958 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24959 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24960 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24961 something like that.
24964 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24967 @cindex reporting bugs
24969 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24971 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24972 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24973 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24974 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24976 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24977 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24978 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24979 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24982 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24983 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24984 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24985 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24986 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24987 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24989 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24990 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24991 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24995 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24996 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24999 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
25000 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
25001 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
25002 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
25003 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
25004 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
25005 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
25006 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
25007 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
25008 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
25009 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
25010 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
25011 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
25012 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
25017 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
25018 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
25019 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
25020 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
25021 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
25022 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
25023 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
25024 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
25025 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
25026 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET message}. Then perform
25027 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
25028 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
25029 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
25030 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
25031 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
25032 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
25033 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
25034 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
25036 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
25037 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
25039 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
25040 @cindex ding mailing list
25041 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@email{ding@@gnus.org}.
25042 Write to @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
25046 @node Gnus Reference Guide
25047 @section Gnus Reference Guide
25049 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
25050 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
25051 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
25052 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
25055 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
25056 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
25057 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
25058 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
25059 and general methods of operation.
25062 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
25063 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
25064 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
25065 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
25066 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
25067 * Group Info:: The group info format.
25068 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
25069 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
25070 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
25074 @node Gnus Utility Functions
25075 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
25076 @cindex Gnus utility functions
25077 @cindex utility functions
25079 @cindex internal variables
25081 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
25082 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
25083 Below is a list of the most common ones.
25087 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
25088 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
25089 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
25091 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
25092 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
25093 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
25095 @item gnus-group-real-name
25096 @findex gnus-group-real-name
25097 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
25100 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
25101 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
25102 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
25103 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
25105 @item gnus-get-info
25106 @findex gnus-get-info
25107 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
25109 @item gnus-group-unread
25110 @findex gnus-group-unread
25111 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
25115 @findex gnus-active
25116 The active entry for @var{group}.
25118 @item gnus-set-active
25119 @findex gnus-set-active
25120 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
25122 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
25123 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
25124 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
25127 @item gnus-continuum-version
25128 @findex gnus-continuum-version
25129 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
25130 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
25133 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
25134 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
25135 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
25137 @item gnus-news-group-p
25138 @findex gnus-news-group-p
25139 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
25141 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
25142 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
25143 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
25145 @item gnus-server-to-method
25146 @findex gnus-server-to-method
25147 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
25149 @item gnus-server-equal
25150 @findex gnus-server-equal
25151 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
25153 @item gnus-group-native-p
25154 @findex gnus-group-native-p
25155 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
25157 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
25158 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
25159 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
25161 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
25162 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
25163 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
25165 @item group-group-find-parameter
25166 @findex group-group-find-parameter
25167 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
25168 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
25170 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
25171 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
25172 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
25174 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
25175 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
25176 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
25178 @item gnus-check-backend-function
25179 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
25180 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
25181 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
25184 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
25188 @item gnus-read-method
25189 @findex gnus-read-method
25190 Prompts the user for a select method.
25195 @node Back End Interface
25196 @subsection Back End Interface
25198 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
25199 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
25200 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
25201 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
25202 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
25203 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
25205 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
25206 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
25207 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
25208 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
25209 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
25210 been opened, the function should fail.
25212 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
25213 name. Take this example:
25217 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
25218 (nntp-port-number 4324))
25221 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
25222 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
25224 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
25225 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
25226 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
25228 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
25229 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
25230 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
25232 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
25233 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
25234 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
25235 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
25236 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
25237 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
25240 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
25241 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
25242 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
25243 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
25246 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
25247 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
25248 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
25249 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
25250 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
25251 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
25252 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
25253 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
25254 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
25255 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
25257 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
25258 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
25259 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
25260 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
25261 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
25262 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
25263 of numbers as long as possible.
25265 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
25266 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
25267 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
25269 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
25272 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
25275 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
25276 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
25277 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
25278 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
25279 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
25280 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
25284 @node Required Back End Functions
25285 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
25289 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
25291 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
25292 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
25293 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
25294 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
25296 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
25297 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
25298 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
25299 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
25301 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
25302 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
25303 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
25304 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
25305 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
25306 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
25307 number, do maximum fetches.
25309 Here's an example HEAD:
25312 221 1056 Article retrieved.
25313 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
25314 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
25315 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
25316 Subject: Re: Something very droll
25317 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
25318 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
25320 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
25321 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
25322 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
25326 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
25327 these in the data buffer.
25329 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
25333 head = error / valid-head
25334 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
25335 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
25336 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
25337 header = <text> eol
25341 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
25343 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
25344 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
25348 nov-buffer = *nov-line
25349 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
25350 field = <text except TAB>
25353 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
25357 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
25359 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
25360 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
25362 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
25363 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
25364 server. In fact, it should do so.
25366 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
25367 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
25370 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
25372 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
25373 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
25376 There should be no data returned.
25379 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
25381 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
25382 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
25383 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
25384 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
25386 There should be no data returned.
25389 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
25391 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
25392 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
25393 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
25394 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
25396 There should be no data returned.
25399 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
25401 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
25403 There should be no data returned.
25406 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
25408 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
25409 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
25410 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
25411 it would be nice if that were possible.
25413 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
25414 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
25415 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
25416 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
25417 into its article buffer.
25419 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
25420 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
25421 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
25422 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
25423 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
25424 on successful article retrieval.
25427 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
25429 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
25430 making @var{group} the current group.
25432 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
25435 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
25438 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
25441 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
25442 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
25443 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
25444 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
25445 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
25446 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
25447 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
25448 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
25449 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
25453 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
25454 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
25455 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
25459 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25461 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
25462 a no-op on most back ends.
25464 There should be no data returned.
25467 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
25469 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
25472 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
25475 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
25476 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
25479 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
25480 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
25481 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
25482 and the highest as 0.
25485 active-file = *active-line
25486 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
25488 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
25491 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
25492 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
25493 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
25496 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
25498 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
25499 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
25500 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
25501 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
25502 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
25503 clear if the posting could not be completed.
25505 There should be no result data from this function.
25510 @node Optional Back End Functions
25511 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
25515 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
25517 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
25518 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
25519 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
25521 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
25522 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
25523 former is in the same format as the data from
25524 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
25525 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
25528 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
25532 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
25534 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
25535 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
25536 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
25537 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
25538 should return a non-nil value.
25540 There should be no result data from this function.
25543 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
25545 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
25546 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
25547 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
25548 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
25549 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
25550 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
25551 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
25552 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
25554 There should be no result data from this function.
25557 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
25559 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
25560 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
25561 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
25562 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
25563 propagate the mark information to the server.
25565 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
25568 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
25571 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
25572 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
25573 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
25574 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
25575 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
25576 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
25577 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
25578 possible, not limit itself to these.
25580 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
25581 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
25582 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
25583 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
25585 An example action list:
25588 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
25589 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
25590 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
25593 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
25594 mark on (currently not used for anything).
25596 There should be no result data from this function.
25598 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
25600 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
25601 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
25602 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
25603 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
25604 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
25606 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
25607 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
25608 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
25611 There should be no result data from this function.
25614 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
25616 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
25617 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
25618 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
25619 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
25620 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
25621 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
25622 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
25624 There should be no result data from this function.
25627 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
25629 The result data from this function should be a description of
25633 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
25635 description = <text>
25638 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
25640 The result data from this function should be the description of all
25641 groups available on the server.
25644 description-buffer = *description-line
25648 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
25650 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
25651 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
25652 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
25653 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
25654 in the active buffer format.
25656 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
25657 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
25658 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
25659 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
25660 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
25661 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
25662 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
25665 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25667 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
25669 There should be no return data.
25672 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
25674 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
25675 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
25676 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
25677 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
25678 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
25681 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
25684 There should be no result data returned.
25687 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
25689 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
25690 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
25692 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
25693 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
25694 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
25695 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
25696 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
25697 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
25699 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
25700 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
25703 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25704 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25706 There should be no data returned.
25709 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
25711 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
25712 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
25713 this function in short order.
25715 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25716 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25718 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
25719 article for that group.
25721 There should be no data returned.
25724 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
25726 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
25727 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
25729 There should be no data returned.
25732 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
25734 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
25735 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
25736 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
25738 There should be no data returned.
25741 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
25743 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
25744 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
25746 There should be no data returned.
25751 @node Error Messaging
25752 @subsubsection Error Messaging
25754 @findex nnheader-report
25755 @findex nnheader-get-report
25756 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
25757 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
25758 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
25759 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
25760 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
25761 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
25764 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
25766 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
25769 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
25770 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
25771 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
25772 takes one argument---the server symbol.
25774 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
25775 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
25776 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
25779 @node Writing New Back Ends
25780 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
25782 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
25783 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
25784 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
25785 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
25786 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
25789 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
25790 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
25791 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
25793 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
25794 package called @code{nnoo}.
25796 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
25797 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
25803 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
25804 parameters. For instance:
25807 (nnoo-declare nndir
25811 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
25812 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
25815 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
25816 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
25817 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
25819 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25820 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25821 a function in those back ends.
25824 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25825 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25826 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25829 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25830 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25831 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25833 @item nnoo-define-basics
25834 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25838 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25842 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25843 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25844 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25846 @item nnoo-map-functions
25847 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25848 functions from the parent back ends.
25851 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25852 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25853 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25856 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25857 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25858 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25859 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25862 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25863 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25864 haven't already been defined.
25870 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25874 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25875 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25876 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25881 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25884 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25885 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25889 (require 'nnheader)
25893 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25895 (nnoo-declare nndir
25898 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25899 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25900 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25902 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25903 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25906 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25908 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25909 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25910 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25912 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25913 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25915 ;;; Interface functions.
25917 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25919 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25920 (setq nndir-directory
25921 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25923 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25924 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25925 (push `(nndir-current-group
25926 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25927 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25929 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25930 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25932 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25934 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25935 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25936 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25937 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25938 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25942 nnmh-status-message
25944 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25950 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25951 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25953 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25954 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25955 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25956 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25957 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25959 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25960 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25965 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25968 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25970 The abilities can be:
25974 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25976 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25978 This back end supports both mail and news.
25980 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25983 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25984 articles and groups.
25986 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25987 true for almost all back ends.
25988 @item prompt-address
25989 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25990 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25991 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25995 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25996 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25998 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25999 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
26000 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
26001 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
26004 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
26005 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
26006 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
26009 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
26010 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
26013 This function takes four parameters.
26017 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
26020 @item exit-function
26021 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
26023 @item temp-directory
26024 Where the temporary files should be stored.
26027 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
26028 performed for one group only.
26031 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
26032 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
26033 find the article number assigned to this article.
26035 The function also uses the following variables:
26036 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
26037 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
26038 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
26039 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
26043 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
26044 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
26048 @node Score File Syntax
26049 @subsection Score File Syntax
26051 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
26052 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
26053 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
26055 Here's a typical score file:
26059 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
26066 BNF definition of a score file:
26069 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
26070 element = rule / atom
26071 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
26072 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
26073 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
26074 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
26076 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
26077 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
26078 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
26079 date-header = "date"
26080 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26081 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26082 score = "nil" / <integer>
26083 date = "nil" / <natural number>
26084 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
26085 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
26086 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
26087 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
26088 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26089 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26090 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
26091 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26092 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
26093 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
26094 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
26095 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
26096 exclude-files / read-only / touched
26097 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
26098 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
26099 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
26100 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
26101 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
26102 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
26103 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
26104 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
26105 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
26106 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
26107 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
26108 eval = "eval" space <form>
26109 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
26112 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
26115 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
26116 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
26117 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
26118 one looong line, then that's ok.
26120 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
26121 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26125 @subsection Headers
26127 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
26128 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
26129 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
26130 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
26132 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
26133 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
26134 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
26135 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
26136 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
26137 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
26138 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
26140 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
26141 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
26142 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
26143 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
26144 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
26146 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
26147 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
26153 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
26154 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
26156 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
26157 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
26158 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
26159 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
26161 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
26165 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
26168 is transformed into
26171 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
26174 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
26175 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
26178 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
26181 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
26182 is slightly tricky:
26185 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
26191 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
26194 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
26200 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
26207 and is equal to the previous range.
26209 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
26210 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
26211 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
26215 range = simple-range / normal-range
26216 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
26217 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
26218 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
26219 number *[ " " contents ]
26222 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
26223 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
26224 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
26225 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
26226 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
26231 @subsection Group Info
26233 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
26234 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
26235 describes the group.
26237 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
26238 second is a more complex one:
26241 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
26243 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
26244 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
26246 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
26249 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
26250 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
26251 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
26252 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
26253 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
26254 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
26255 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
26256 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
26257 this section is about.
26259 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
26260 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
26261 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
26263 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
26266 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
26267 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
26268 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26269 group = quote <string> quote
26270 ralevel = rank / level
26271 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
26272 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
26273 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
26275 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
26276 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
26277 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
26278 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
26281 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
26282 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
26285 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
26286 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
26289 @item gnus-info-group
26290 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
26291 @findex gnus-info-group
26292 @findex gnus-info-set-group
26293 Get/set the group name.
26295 @item gnus-info-rank
26296 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
26297 @findex gnus-info-rank
26298 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
26299 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
26301 @item gnus-info-level
26302 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
26303 @findex gnus-info-level
26304 @findex gnus-info-set-level
26305 Get/set the group level.
26307 @item gnus-info-score
26308 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
26309 @findex gnus-info-score
26310 @findex gnus-info-set-score
26311 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
26313 @item gnus-info-read
26314 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
26315 @findex gnus-info-read
26316 @findex gnus-info-set-read
26317 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
26319 @item gnus-info-marks
26320 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
26321 @findex gnus-info-marks
26322 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
26323 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
26325 @item gnus-info-method
26326 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
26327 @findex gnus-info-method
26328 @findex gnus-info-set-method
26329 Get/set the group select method.
26331 @item gnus-info-params
26332 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
26333 @findex gnus-info-params
26334 @findex gnus-info-set-params
26335 Get/set the group parameters.
26338 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
26339 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
26341 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
26342 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
26343 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
26344 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
26347 @node Extended Interactive
26348 @subsection Extended Interactive
26349 @cindex interactive
26350 @findex gnus-interactive
26352 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
26353 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
26354 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
26357 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
26358 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
26363 The best thing to do would have been to implement
26364 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
26365 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
26366 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
26367 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
26368 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
26369 @code{interactive}.
26371 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
26376 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
26377 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
26381 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
26382 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
26383 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
26386 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
26390 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
26394 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
26400 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
26401 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
26405 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
26406 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
26407 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
26409 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
26410 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
26411 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
26412 Gnus, that's very useful.
26414 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
26415 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
26416 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
26417 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
26418 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
26419 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
26420 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
26421 following function:
26424 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
26428 (,function ,@@args))
26432 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
26433 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
26434 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
26437 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
26438 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
26439 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
26441 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
26442 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
26443 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
26446 @node Various File Formats
26447 @subsection Various File Formats
26450 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
26451 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
26455 @node Active File Format
26456 @subsubsection Active File Format
26458 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
26459 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
26462 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
26465 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
26466 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
26467 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
26468 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
26469 no.general 1000 900 y
26472 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
26475 active = *group-line
26476 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
26477 group = <non-white-space string>
26479 high-number = <non-negative integer>
26480 low-number = <positive integer>
26481 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
26484 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
26485 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
26488 @node Newsgroups File Format
26489 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
26491 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
26492 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
26493 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
26496 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
26497 Here's the definition:
26501 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
26502 group = <non-white-space string>
26504 description = <string>
26509 @node Emacs for Heathens
26510 @section Emacs for Heathens
26512 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
26513 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
26514 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
26515 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
26516 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
26517 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
26518 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
26522 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
26523 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
26528 @subsection Keystrokes
26532 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
26535 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
26538 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
26539 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
26540 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
26541 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
26542 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
26543 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
26545 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
26546 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
26547 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
26548 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
26549 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
26550 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
26551 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
26553 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
26554 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
26555 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
26556 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
26557 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
26558 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
26559 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
26561 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
26562 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
26563 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
26564 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
26565 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
26571 @subsection Emacs Lisp
26573 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
26574 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
26575 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
26576 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
26578 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
26579 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
26580 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
26581 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
26582 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
26583 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
26584 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
26587 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
26588 write the following:
26591 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
26594 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
26595 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
26596 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
26599 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
26600 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
26601 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
26602 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
26603 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
26605 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
26606 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
26607 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
26611 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
26615 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
26618 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
26619 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
26622 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
26625 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
26626 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
26629 @include gnus-faq.texi
26649 @c Local Variables:
26651 @c coding: iso-8859-1
26653 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
26654 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
26655 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
26656 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
26657 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref