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308 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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325 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
335 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
337 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
345 @top The Gnus Newsreader
349 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
350 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
351 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
354 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
355 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
370 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
371 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
373 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
374 being accused of plagiarism:
376 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
377 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
378 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
379 can even read news with it!
381 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
382 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
383 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
384 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
385 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
389 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
391 @heading Other related manuals
393 @item Message manual: Composing messages
394 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
395 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
396 @item PGG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
397 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
403 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
404 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
405 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
406 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
407 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
408 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
409 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
410 * Various:: General purpose settings.
411 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
412 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
413 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
414 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
415 * Key Index:: Key Index.
417 Other related manuals
419 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
420 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
421 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
422 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
423 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
426 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
430 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
431 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
432 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
433 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
434 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
435 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
438 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
439 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
440 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
444 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
445 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
446 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
450 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
451 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
452 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
453 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
454 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
455 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
456 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
457 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
458 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
459 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
460 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
461 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
462 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
463 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
464 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
465 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
466 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
467 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
471 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
472 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
473 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
477 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
478 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
479 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
480 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
481 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
485 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
486 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
487 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
488 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
489 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
493 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
494 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
495 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
496 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
497 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
498 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
499 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
500 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
501 * Threading:: How threads are made.
502 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
503 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
504 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
505 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
506 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
507 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
508 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
509 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
510 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
511 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
512 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
513 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
514 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
515 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
516 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
517 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
518 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
519 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
520 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
521 or reselecting the current group.
522 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
523 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
524 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
525 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
527 Summary Buffer Format
529 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
530 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
531 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
532 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
536 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
537 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
539 Reply, Followup and Post
541 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
542 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
543 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
544 * Canceling and Superseding::
548 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
549 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
550 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
551 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
552 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
553 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
557 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
558 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
560 Customizing Threading
562 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
563 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
564 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
565 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
569 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
570 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
571 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
572 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
573 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
574 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
578 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
579 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
580 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
584 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
585 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
586 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
587 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
588 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
589 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
590 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
591 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
592 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys, Gravatars
593 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
594 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
596 Alternative Approaches
598 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
599 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
601 Various Summary Stuff
603 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
604 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
605 * Summary Generation Commands::
606 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
610 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
611 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
612 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
613 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
614 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
618 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
619 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
620 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
621 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
622 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
623 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
624 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
625 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
626 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
630 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
631 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
632 * Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
633 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
634 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
635 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
636 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
637 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
638 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
642 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
643 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
644 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
645 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
646 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
647 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
648 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
652 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
653 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
657 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
658 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
659 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
660 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
664 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
665 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
666 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
667 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
668 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
669 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
670 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
671 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
672 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
673 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
674 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
675 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
676 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
680 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
681 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
682 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
684 Choosing a Mail Back End
686 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
687 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
688 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
689 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
690 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
691 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
692 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
697 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
698 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
699 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
703 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
704 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
705 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
706 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
710 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
714 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
718 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
719 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
720 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
724 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
725 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
726 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
728 The Gnus Diary Library
730 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
731 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
732 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
733 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
737 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
738 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
739 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
740 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
741 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
742 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
743 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
744 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
745 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
746 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
747 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
748 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
749 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
750 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
754 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
755 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
756 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
760 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
761 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
762 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
766 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
767 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
768 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
769 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
770 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
771 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
772 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
773 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
774 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
775 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
776 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
777 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
778 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
779 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
780 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
781 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
785 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
786 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
787 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
791 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
792 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
793 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
794 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
795 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
796 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
797 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
798 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
799 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
800 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
801 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
802 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
803 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
804 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
805 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
806 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
807 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
808 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
809 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
810 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
814 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
815 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
816 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
817 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
818 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
819 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
820 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
821 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
825 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
826 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
827 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
829 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
830 * Gravatars:: Display the avatar of people you read.
831 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
835 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
836 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
837 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
838 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
842 * Spam Package Introduction::
843 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
844 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
845 * Spam and Ham Processors::
846 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
848 * Extending the Spam package::
849 * Spam Statistics Package::
851 Spam Statistics Package
853 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
854 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
855 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
859 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
860 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
861 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
862 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
863 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
864 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
865 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
866 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
867 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
871 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
872 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
873 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
874 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
875 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
876 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
877 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
878 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
879 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
883 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
884 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
885 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
886 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
887 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
888 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
889 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
893 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
894 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
895 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
896 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
900 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
901 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
902 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
903 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
904 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
905 * Group Info:: The group info format.
906 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
907 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
908 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
912 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
913 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
914 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
915 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
916 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
917 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
921 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
922 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
926 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
927 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
933 @chapter Starting Gnus
936 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
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
943 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
944 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
945 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
946 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
948 @findex gnus-other-frame
949 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
950 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
951 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
953 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
954 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
955 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
957 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
958 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
961 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
962 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
963 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
964 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
965 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
966 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
967 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
968 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
969 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
970 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
974 @node Finding the News
975 @section Finding the News
978 First of all, you should know that there is a special buffer called
979 @code{*Server*} that lists all the servers Gnus knows about. You can
980 press @kbd{^} from the Group buffer to see it. In the Server buffer,
981 you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
982 serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
983 a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
984 do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
985 @xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
987 @vindex gnus-select-method
989 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
990 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
991 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
992 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
995 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
996 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
999 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1002 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1005 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1008 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1009 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1010 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1011 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1013 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1015 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1016 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1017 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1018 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1019 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1020 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1021 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1023 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1025 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1026 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1027 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1028 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1029 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1030 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1032 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1034 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1035 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1036 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1037 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1038 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1039 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1042 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1043 you would typically set this variable to
1046 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1049 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1050 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1051 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1052 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1055 @node The First Time
1056 @section The First Time
1057 @cindex first time usage
1059 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1060 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1062 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1063 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1064 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1065 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1068 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1069 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1070 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1072 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1073 help you with most common problems.
1075 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1076 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1080 @node The Server is Down
1081 @section The Server is Down
1082 @cindex server errors
1084 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1085 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1086 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1088 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1089 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1090 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1091 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1092 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1093 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1094 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1096 @findex gnus-no-server
1097 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1099 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1100 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1101 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1102 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1103 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1104 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1105 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1109 @section Slave Gnusae
1112 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1113 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1114 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1115 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1117 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1118 @file{.newsrc} file.
1120 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1121 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1122 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1123 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1124 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1125 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1126 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1129 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1130 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1131 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1132 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1133 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1134 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1135 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1136 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1138 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1139 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1141 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1142 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1143 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1144 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1145 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1152 @cindex subscription
1154 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1155 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1156 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1157 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1158 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1159 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1160 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1161 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1162 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1165 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1166 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1167 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1171 @node Checking New Groups
1172 @subsection Checking New Groups
1174 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1175 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1176 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1177 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1178 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1179 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1180 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1181 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1182 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1183 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1185 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1186 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1187 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1188 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1189 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1190 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1191 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1192 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1193 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1194 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1195 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1197 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1198 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1199 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1200 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1201 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1202 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1205 @node Subscription Methods
1206 @subsection Subscription Methods
1208 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1209 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1210 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1212 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1213 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1215 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1219 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1220 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1221 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1222 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1223 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1225 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1227 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1228 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1230 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1231 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1232 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1234 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1235 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1236 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1237 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1238 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1239 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1240 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1241 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1242 up. Or something like that.
1244 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1246 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1247 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1248 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1250 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1251 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1252 Kill all new groups.
1254 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1255 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1256 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1257 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1258 topic parameter that looks like
1264 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1267 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1273 A closely related variable is
1274 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1275 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1276 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1277 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1280 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1281 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1282 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1283 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1286 @node Filtering New Groups
1287 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1289 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1290 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1291 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1294 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1297 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1298 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1299 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1300 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1301 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1302 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1303 subscribing these groups.
1304 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1305 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1307 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1308 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1309 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1310 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1311 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1312 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1313 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1314 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1316 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1317 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1318 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1319 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1320 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1321 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1322 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1323 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1324 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1325 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1328 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1329 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1332 @node Changing Servers
1333 @section Changing Servers
1334 @cindex changing servers
1336 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1337 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1338 very flaky and you want to use another.
1340 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1341 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1345 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1346 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1347 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1348 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1351 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1352 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1353 You can use the @kbd{M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups}
1354 command to clear out all data that you have on your native groups.
1357 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1358 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1359 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1360 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1362 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1363 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1364 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1365 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1366 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1367 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1368 cache for all groups).
1372 @section Startup Files
1373 @cindex startup files
1378 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1379 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1380 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1383 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1384 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1385 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1386 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1387 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1388 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1389 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1391 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1392 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1393 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1394 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1395 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1396 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1398 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1399 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1400 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1401 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1402 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1403 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1404 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1405 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1406 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1407 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1408 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1411 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1412 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1413 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1414 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1415 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1416 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1417 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1418 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1419 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1420 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1421 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1422 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1424 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1425 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1426 @vindex version-control
1427 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1428 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1429 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1430 If you want version control for this file, set
1431 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1432 @code{version-control} variable.
1434 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1435 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1436 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1437 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1438 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1439 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1440 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1441 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1442 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1443 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1446 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1447 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1449 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1450 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1453 @vindex gnus-init-file
1454 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1455 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1456 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1457 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1458 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1459 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1460 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1461 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1462 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1463 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1464 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1465 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1466 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1471 @cindex dribble file
1474 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1475 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1476 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1477 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1478 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1481 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1482 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1485 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1486 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1487 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1489 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1490 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1491 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1492 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1493 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1494 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1496 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1497 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1498 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1501 @node The Active File
1502 @section The Active File
1504 @cindex ignored groups
1506 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1507 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1508 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1510 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1511 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1512 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1513 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1514 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1515 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1516 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1519 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1520 @c if you set it to anything else.
1522 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1524 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1525 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1526 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1528 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1529 you actually subscribe to.
1531 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1532 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1533 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1534 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1536 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1537 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1538 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1539 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1540 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1541 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1543 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1544 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1545 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1548 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1549 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1550 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1551 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1552 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1553 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1555 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1556 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1558 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1559 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1561 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1562 secondary select methods.
1565 @node Startup Variables
1566 @section Startup Variables
1570 @item gnus-load-hook
1571 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1572 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1573 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1574 times you start Gnus.
1576 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1577 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1578 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1580 @item gnus-startup-hook
1581 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1582 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1584 @item gnus-started-hook
1585 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1586 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1589 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1590 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1591 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1592 generating the group buffer.
1594 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1595 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1596 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1597 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1598 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1599 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1600 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1601 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1603 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1604 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1605 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1606 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1607 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1608 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1610 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1611 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1612 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1614 @item gnus-use-backend-marks
1615 @vindex gnus-use-backend-marks
1616 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will store article marks both in the
1617 @file{.newsrc.eld} file and in the backends. This will slow down
1618 group operation some.
1624 @chapter Group Buffer
1625 @cindex group buffer
1627 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1629 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1630 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1631 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1632 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1633 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1634 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1635 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1636 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1637 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1638 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1639 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1640 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1641 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1642 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1643 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1644 @c human rights at 9...
1647 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1648 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1649 long as Gnus is active.
1653 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1654 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1655 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1656 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1657 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1658 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1659 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1660 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1666 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1667 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1668 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1669 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1670 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1671 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1672 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1673 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1674 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1675 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1676 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1677 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1678 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1679 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1680 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1681 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1682 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1683 * Searching:: Mail search engines.
1684 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1688 @node Group Buffer Format
1689 @section Group Buffer Format
1692 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1693 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1694 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1697 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1698 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1701 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1702 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1703 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1704 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1707 @node Group Line Specification
1708 @subsection Group Line Specification
1709 @cindex group buffer format
1711 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1712 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1714 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1717 25: news.announce.newusers
1718 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1723 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1724 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1725 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1726 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1728 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1729 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1730 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1731 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1732 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1733 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1735 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1737 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1738 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1739 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1740 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1741 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1743 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1744 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1745 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1747 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1752 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1755 Whether the group is subscribed.
1758 Level of subscribedness.
1761 Number of unread articles.
1764 Number of dormant articles.
1767 Number of ticked articles.
1770 Number of read articles.
1773 Number of unseen articles.
1776 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1777 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1779 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1780 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1781 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1782 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1783 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1784 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1785 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1787 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1788 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1789 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1790 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1791 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1792 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1793 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1796 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1799 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1808 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1809 comment element in the group parameters.
1812 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1813 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1814 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1818 @samp{m} if moderated.
1821 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1827 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1833 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1837 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1840 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1841 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1842 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1843 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1844 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1847 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1849 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1853 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1856 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1860 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1861 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1862 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1863 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1866 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1867 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1868 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1869 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1870 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1871 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1876 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1877 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1878 group, or a bogus native group.
1881 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1882 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1883 @cindex group mode line
1885 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1886 The mode line can be changed by setting
1887 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1888 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1892 The native news server.
1894 The native select method.
1898 @node Group Highlighting
1899 @subsection Group Highlighting
1900 @cindex highlighting
1901 @cindex group highlighting
1903 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1904 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1905 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1906 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1907 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1909 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1913 (cond (window-system
1914 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1915 (defface my-group-face-1
1916 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1917 (defface my-group-face-2
1918 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1919 "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}.
1973 @node Group Maneuvering
1974 @section Group Maneuvering
1975 @cindex group movement
1977 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1978 expected, hopefully.
1984 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1985 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1986 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1992 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1993 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1994 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1998 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1999 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2003 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2004 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2008 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2009 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2010 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2014 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2015 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2016 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2019 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2025 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2026 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2027 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2032 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2033 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2034 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2038 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2039 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2040 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2043 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2044 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2045 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2046 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2049 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2050 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2051 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2052 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2055 @node Selecting a Group
2056 @section Selecting a Group
2057 @cindex group selection
2062 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2063 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2064 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2065 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2066 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2067 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2068 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2069 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2070 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2071 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2073 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2074 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2075 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2077 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2078 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2083 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2084 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2085 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2086 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2087 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2091 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2092 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2093 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2094 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2095 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2096 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2097 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2098 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2099 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2100 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2103 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2104 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2105 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2106 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2107 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2110 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2111 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2112 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2113 doing any processing of its contents
2114 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2115 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2116 manner will have no permanent effects.
2120 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2121 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2122 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2123 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2124 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2125 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2126 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2127 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2128 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2129 most recently will be fetched.
2131 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2132 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2133 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2136 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2137 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2138 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2139 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2140 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2141 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2142 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2143 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2144 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2145 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2146 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2147 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2148 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2149 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2150 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2151 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2152 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2154 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2155 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2156 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2157 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2158 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2159 Which article this is controlled by the
2160 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2166 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2169 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2172 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2174 @item unseen-or-unread
2175 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2176 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2180 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2184 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2185 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2187 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2188 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2189 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2190 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2194 @node Subscription Commands
2195 @section Subscription Commands
2196 @cindex subscription
2198 The following commands allow for managing your subscriptions in the
2199 Group buffer. If you want to subscribe to many groups, it's probably
2200 more convenient to go to the @ref{Server Buffer}, and choose the
2201 server there using @kbd{RET} or @kbd{SPC}. Then you'll have the
2202 commands listed in @ref{Browse Foreign Server} at hand.
2210 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2211 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2212 Toggle subscription to the current group
2213 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2219 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2220 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2221 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2222 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2228 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2229 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2230 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2236 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2237 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2240 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2241 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2242 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2243 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2244 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2250 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2251 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2255 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2256 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2259 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2260 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2261 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2262 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2263 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2264 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2265 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2266 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2267 @file{.newsrc} file.
2271 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2281 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2282 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2283 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2284 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2285 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2286 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2291 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2292 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2293 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2297 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2298 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2299 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2301 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2302 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2303 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2304 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2305 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2306 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2313 @section Group Levels
2317 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2318 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2319 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2320 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2321 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2323 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2329 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2330 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2331 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2332 prompted for a level.
2335 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2336 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2337 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2338 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2339 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2340 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2341 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2342 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2343 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2344 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2345 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2346 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2347 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2348 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2349 reasons of efficiency.
2351 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2352 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2354 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2355 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2356 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2357 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2358 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2359 groups are hidden, in a way.
2361 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2362 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2363 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2364 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2365 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2366 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2368 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2369 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2370 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2371 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2372 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2373 list of killed groups.)
2375 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2376 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2377 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2379 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2380 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2381 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2382 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2383 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2384 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2385 relevant valid ranges.
2387 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2388 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2389 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2390 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2391 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2392 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2395 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2396 one with the best level.
2398 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2399 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2400 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2402 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2403 be called and the result will be used as value.
2406 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2407 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2408 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2409 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2412 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2413 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2414 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2415 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2417 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2418 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2419 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2420 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2421 to 5. The default is 6.
2425 @section Group Score
2430 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2431 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2432 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2435 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2436 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2437 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2438 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2439 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2440 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2441 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2442 least significant part.))
2444 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2445 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2446 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2447 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2448 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2449 action after each summary exit, you can add
2450 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2451 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2452 slow things down somewhat.
2455 @node Marking Groups
2456 @section Marking Groups
2457 @cindex marking groups
2459 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2460 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2461 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2462 bidding on those groups.
2464 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2465 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2466 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2474 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2475 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2481 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2482 Remove the mark from the current group
2483 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2487 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2488 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2492 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2493 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2497 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2498 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2502 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2503 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2504 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2507 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2509 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2510 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2511 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2512 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2513 the command to be executed.
2516 @node Foreign Groups
2517 @section Foreign Groups
2518 @cindex foreign groups
2520 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2521 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2522 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2523 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2526 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2527 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2528 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2534 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2535 @cindex making groups
2536 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2537 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2538 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2542 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2543 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2544 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2548 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2549 @cindex renaming groups
2550 Rename the current group to something else
2551 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2552 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2558 @findex gnus-group-customize
2559 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2563 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2564 @cindex renaming groups
2565 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2566 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2570 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2571 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2572 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2576 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2577 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2578 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2582 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2584 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2585 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2590 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2591 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2595 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2597 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2598 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2599 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2603 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2604 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2606 Make a group based on some file or other
2607 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2608 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2609 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2610 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2611 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2612 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2613 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2614 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2615 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2619 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2620 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2621 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2622 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2626 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2630 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2631 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2632 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2633 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2634 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2635 @xref{Web Searches}.
2637 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2638 to a particular group by using a match string like
2639 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2643 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2644 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2645 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2649 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2650 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2651 This function will delete the current group
2652 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2653 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2654 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2655 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2656 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2660 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2661 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2662 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2666 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2667 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2668 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2671 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2674 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2675 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2676 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2677 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2678 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2679 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2683 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2684 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2687 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2688 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2689 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2690 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2691 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2692 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2695 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2696 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2697 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2698 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2699 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2700 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2701 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2702 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2703 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2704 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2706 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2707 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2708 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2709 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2710 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2712 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2713 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2714 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2715 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2718 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2726 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2727 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2728 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2732 @node Group Parameters
2733 @section Group Parameters
2734 @cindex group parameters
2736 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2738 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2739 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2740 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2741 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2742 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2743 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2744 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2746 Here's an example group parameter list:
2749 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2753 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2754 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2755 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2756 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2758 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2759 is an alist of regexps and values.
2761 The following group parameters can be used:
2766 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2769 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2772 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2773 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2774 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2775 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2776 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2778 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2779 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2780 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2781 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2782 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2783 list address instead.
2785 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2789 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2792 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2795 It is totally ignored
2796 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2797 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2799 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2800 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2801 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2802 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2803 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2805 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2806 @cindex mail list groups
2807 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2808 entering summary buffer.
2810 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2815 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2816 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2817 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2818 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2819 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2820 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2821 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2822 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2825 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2826 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2829 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2830 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2834 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2835 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2836 of whether it has any unread articles.
2838 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2839 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2841 @item broken-reply-to
2842 @cindex broken-reply-to
2843 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2844 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2845 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2846 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2847 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2848 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2852 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2853 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2857 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2858 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2859 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2864 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2865 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2866 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2867 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2868 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2869 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2870 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2872 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2873 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2874 doesn't accept articles.
2878 @cindex expiring mail
2879 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2880 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2881 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2883 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2886 @cindex total-expire
2887 @cindex expiring mail
2888 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2889 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2890 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2891 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2894 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2898 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2899 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2900 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2901 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2902 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2903 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2904 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2907 @cindex expiry-target
2908 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2909 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2912 @cindex score file group parameter
2913 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2914 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2915 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2918 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2919 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2920 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2921 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2924 @cindex admin-address
2925 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2926 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2927 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2928 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2932 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2933 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2937 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2940 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2941 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2944 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2948 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2950 Here are some examples:
2954 Display only unread articles.
2957 Display everything except expirable articles.
2959 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2960 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2964 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2965 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2966 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2967 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2968 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2972 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2973 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2974 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2978 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2979 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2980 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2984 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2985 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2986 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2988 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2990 @item ignored-charsets
2991 @cindex ignored-charset
2992 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2993 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2994 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2996 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2999 @cindex posting-style
3000 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3001 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3002 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3003 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3004 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3006 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3007 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3008 like this in the group parameters:
3013 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3014 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3017 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3018 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3019 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3020 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3021 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3022 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3028 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3029 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3033 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3034 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3035 mail source for this group.
3039 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3040 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3041 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3042 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3043 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3047 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3048 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3049 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3050 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3052 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3053 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3054 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3055 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3058 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3059 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3063 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3064 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3065 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3066 like the following is generated:
3069 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3070 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3074 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3075 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3077 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3078 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3080 @item (agent parameters)
3081 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of its parameters to
3082 control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3083 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3084 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3085 minimize the configuration effort.
3087 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3088 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3089 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3090 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3091 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3092 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3093 @code{eval}ed there.
3095 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3096 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3097 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3098 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3099 form needs to be set to it.
3101 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3102 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3103 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3104 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3105 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3106 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3107 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3110 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3113 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3114 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3115 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3118 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3121 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3122 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3123 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3124 into the group parameters for the group.
3126 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3127 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3128 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3129 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3130 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3132 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3133 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3134 following is added to a group parameter
3137 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3138 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3141 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3146 @vindex gnus-parameters
3147 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3148 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3149 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3153 (setq gnus-parameters
3155 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3156 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3157 (gnus-summary-line-format
3158 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3162 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3166 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3170 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3173 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3174 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3176 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3177 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3178 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3179 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3180 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3181 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3182 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3183 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3184 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3185 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3186 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3187 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3189 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3190 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3191 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3192 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3193 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3194 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3195 weekly news RSS feed
3196 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3202 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3203 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3204 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3205 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3206 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3208 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3209 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3210 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3211 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3212 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3213 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3217 @node Listing Groups
3218 @section Listing Groups
3219 @cindex group listing
3221 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3229 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3230 List all groups that have unread articles
3231 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3232 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3233 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3234 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3241 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3242 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3243 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3244 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3245 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3246 unsubscribed groups).
3250 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3251 List all unread groups on a specific level
3252 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3253 with no unread articles.
3257 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3258 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3259 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3260 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3265 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3266 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3270 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3271 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3272 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3276 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3277 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3281 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3282 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3283 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3284 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3285 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3286 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3287 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3288 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3292 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3293 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3294 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3298 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3299 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3300 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3304 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3305 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3309 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3310 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3314 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3315 List groups limited within the current selection
3316 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3320 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3321 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3325 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3326 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3330 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3331 @cindex visible group parameter
3332 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3333 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3334 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3335 get the same effect.
3337 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3338 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3339 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3340 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3341 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3344 @node Sorting Groups
3345 @section Sorting Groups
3346 @cindex sorting groups
3348 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3349 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3350 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3351 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3352 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3353 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3358 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3359 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3360 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3362 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3363 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3364 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3366 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3367 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3368 Sort by group level.
3370 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3371 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3372 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3374 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3375 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3376 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3377 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3379 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3380 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3381 Sort by number of unread articles.
3383 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3384 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3385 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3387 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3388 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3389 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3394 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3395 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3399 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3400 some sorting criteria:
3404 @kindex G S a (Group)
3405 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3406 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3407 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3410 @kindex G S u (Group)
3411 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3412 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3413 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3416 @kindex G S l (Group)
3417 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3418 Sort the group buffer by group level
3419 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3422 @kindex G S v (Group)
3423 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3424 Sort the group buffer by group score
3425 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3428 @kindex G S r (Group)
3429 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3430 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3431 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3434 @kindex G S m (Group)
3435 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3436 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3437 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3440 @kindex G S n (Group)
3441 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3442 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3443 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3447 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3448 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3450 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3451 commands will sort in reverse order.
3453 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3457 @kindex G P a (Group)
3458 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3459 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3460 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3463 @kindex G P u (Group)
3464 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3465 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3466 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3469 @kindex G P l (Group)
3470 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3471 Sort the groups by group level
3472 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3475 @kindex G P v (Group)
3476 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3477 Sort the groups by group score
3478 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3481 @kindex G P r (Group)
3482 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3483 Sort the groups by group rank
3484 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3487 @kindex G P m (Group)
3488 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3489 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3490 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3493 @kindex G P n (Group)
3494 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3495 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3496 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3499 @kindex G P s (Group)
3500 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3501 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3505 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3509 @node Group Maintenance
3510 @section Group Maintenance
3511 @cindex bogus groups
3516 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3517 Find bogus groups and delete them
3518 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3522 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3523 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3524 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3525 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3526 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3530 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3531 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3532 @cindex expiring mail
3533 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3534 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3535 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3536 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3539 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3540 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3541 @cindex expiring mail
3542 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3543 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3548 @node Browse Foreign Server
3549 @section Browse Foreign Server
3550 @cindex foreign servers
3551 @cindex browsing servers
3556 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3557 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3558 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3559 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3562 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3563 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3564 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3565 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3567 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3572 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3573 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3577 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3578 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3581 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3582 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3583 Enter the current group and display the first article
3584 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3587 @kindex RET (Browse)
3588 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3589 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3593 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3594 @vindex gnus-browse-subscribe-newsgroup-method
3595 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3596 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}). You
3597 can affect the way the new group is entered into the Group buffer
3598 using the variable @code{gnus-browse-subscribe-newsgroup-method}. See
3599 @pxref{Subscription Methods} for available options.
3605 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3606 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3610 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3611 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3615 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3616 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3617 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3622 @section Exiting Gnus
3623 @cindex exiting Gnus
3625 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3630 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3631 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3632 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3633 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3637 @findex gnus-group-exit
3638 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3639 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3643 @findex gnus-group-quit
3644 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3645 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3648 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3649 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3650 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3651 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3652 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3653 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3659 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3660 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3661 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3667 @section Group Topics
3670 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3671 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3672 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3673 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3674 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3675 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3679 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3680 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3691 2: alt.religion.emacs
3694 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3696 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3697 13: comp.sources.unix
3700 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3702 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3703 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3704 is a toggling command.)
3706 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3707 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3708 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3709 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3712 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3713 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3714 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3717 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3721 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3722 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3723 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3724 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3725 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3729 @node Topic Commands
3730 @subsection Topic Commands
3731 @cindex topic commands
3733 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3734 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3735 definitions slightly.
3737 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3738 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3739 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3740 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3741 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3742 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3744 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3751 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3752 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3753 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3757 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3759 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3760 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3761 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3762 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3765 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3766 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3767 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3768 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3772 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3773 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3774 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3775 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3781 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3782 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3783 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3787 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3788 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3789 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3792 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3793 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3794 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3795 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3796 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3798 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3799 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3803 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3804 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3811 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3813 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3814 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3815 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3816 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3817 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3818 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3822 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3828 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3829 Move the current group to some other topic
3830 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3831 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3835 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3836 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3840 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3841 Copy the current group to some other topic
3842 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3843 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3847 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3848 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3849 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3853 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3854 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3855 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3859 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3860 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3861 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3862 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3863 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3864 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3865 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3868 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3869 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3873 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3874 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3875 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3879 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3880 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3881 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3885 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3886 Toggle hiding empty topics
3887 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3891 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3892 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3893 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3894 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3897 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3898 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3899 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3900 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3901 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3904 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3905 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3906 @cindex expiring mail
3907 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3908 expiry process (if any)
3909 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3913 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3914 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3917 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3918 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3919 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3923 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3924 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3925 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3928 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3929 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3930 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3933 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3934 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3935 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3939 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3940 @cindex group parameters
3941 @cindex topic parameters
3943 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3944 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3949 @node Topic Variables
3950 @subsection Topic Variables
3951 @cindex topic variables
3953 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3954 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3956 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3957 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3958 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3971 Number of groups in the topic.
3973 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3975 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3978 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3979 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3980 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3983 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3984 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3986 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3987 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3988 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3992 @subsection Topic Sorting
3993 @cindex topic sorting
3995 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4001 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4002 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4003 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4004 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4007 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4008 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4009 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4010 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4013 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4014 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4015 Sort the current topic by group level
4016 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4019 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4020 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4021 Sort the current topic by group score
4022 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4025 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4026 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4027 Sort the current topic by group rank
4028 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4031 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4032 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4033 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4034 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4037 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4038 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4039 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4040 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4043 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4044 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4045 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4046 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4047 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4051 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4052 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4056 @node Topic Topology
4057 @subsection Topic Topology
4058 @cindex topic topology
4061 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4068 2: alt.religion.emacs
4071 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4073 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4074 13: comp.sources.unix
4078 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4079 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4080 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4085 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4086 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4090 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4091 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4092 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4093 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4094 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4095 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4097 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4098 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4099 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4102 @node Topic Parameters
4103 @subsection Topic Parameters
4104 @cindex topic parameters
4106 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4107 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4108 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4109 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4110 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4112 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4117 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4118 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4119 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4122 @item subscribe-level
4123 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4124 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4125 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4129 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4130 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4131 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4132 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4139 2: alt.religion.emacs
4143 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4145 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4146 13: comp.sources.unix
4151 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4152 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4153 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4154 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4155 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4156 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4158 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4159 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4160 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4161 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4162 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4164 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4165 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4166 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4167 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4168 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4169 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4170 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4171 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4174 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4175 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4176 @cindex non-ascii group names
4178 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4179 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4180 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4181 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4182 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4183 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4184 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4187 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4188 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4189 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4190 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4191 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4192 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4193 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4194 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4197 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4198 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4199 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4200 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4201 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4204 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4205 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4208 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4209 ones specified for the same groups with the
4210 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4212 A select method can be very long, like:
4216 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4217 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4218 (nntp-open-connection-function
4219 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4220 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4221 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4222 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4223 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4226 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4227 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4230 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4231 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4232 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4233 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4234 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4235 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4238 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4239 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4243 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4244 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4247 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4248 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4249 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4250 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4251 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4252 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4254 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4258 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4259 @vindex nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4260 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}. The
4261 default is @code{nil} in Emacs, or is the aliasee of the coding system
4262 named @code{file-name} (a certain coding system of which an alias is
4263 @code{file-name}) in XEmacs.
4265 The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back end, the @acronym{NNTP}
4266 marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent, and the cache use
4267 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and directories. This
4268 variable overrides the value of @code{file-name-coding-system} which
4269 specifies the coding system used when encoding and decoding those file
4270 names and directory names.
4272 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4273 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4274 file names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4275 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4276 is @code{nil} or it is bound to the value of
4277 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} which is @code{nil}.
4279 Normally the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system} in Emacs or
4280 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} in XEmacs is initialized according
4281 to the locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable
4282 to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4284 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4285 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4286 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4287 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4289 If @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable is
4290 initialized by default to @code{iso-latin-1} for example, although you
4291 want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese, that is the most
4292 typical case where you have to customize
4293 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}. The @code{utf-8} coding system is
4294 a good candidate for it. Otherwise, you may change the locale in your
4295 system so that @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable
4296 may be initialized to an appropriate value.
4299 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4300 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4301 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4302 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4309 * nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
4310 * nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
4315 FIXME: This node is a stub.
4317 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
4318 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
4321 FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
4327 FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
4331 @subsection nnmairix
4335 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
4336 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
4337 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
4338 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
4341 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
4342 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
4343 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
4344 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
4345 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
4346 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
4347 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
4348 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
4349 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
4352 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
4353 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
4354 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
4357 @subsubsection About mairix
4359 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
4360 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
4361 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
4362 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
4364 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
4366 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
4367 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
4368 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
4369 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
4370 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
4371 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
4372 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
4373 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
4376 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
4377 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
4378 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
4379 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
4380 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
4381 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
4382 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
4383 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
4386 @node nnmairix requirements
4387 @subsubsection nnmairix requirements
4389 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
4390 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
4391 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
4392 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
4394 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
4395 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
4396 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
4397 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
4399 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
4400 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
4401 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
4402 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
4403 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
4404 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
4406 @node What nnmairix does
4407 @subsubsection What nnmairix does
4409 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
4410 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
4411 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
4412 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
4413 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
4414 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
4415 mails are in different folders.
4417 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
4418 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
4419 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
4420 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
4421 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
4422 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
4424 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
4425 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
4426 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
4427 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
4428 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
4429 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
4430 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
4431 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
4432 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
4433 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
4434 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
4436 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
4437 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
4438 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
4439 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
4440 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
4441 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
4442 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
4443 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
4444 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
4445 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
4446 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
4447 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
4448 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
4449 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
4450 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
4451 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
4453 @node Setting up mairix
4454 @subsubsection Setting up mairix
4456 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
4458 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
4459 (at least) the following entries:
4462 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
4466 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
4467 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
4468 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
4469 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
4472 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
4473 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
4474 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
4477 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
4478 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
4479 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
4480 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
4481 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
4487 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
4488 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
4489 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
4490 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4493 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
4494 database= ... location of database file ...
4497 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
4498 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
4499 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
4501 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
4505 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
4506 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
4507 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
4510 database=~/.mairixdatabase
4513 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
4514 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
4515 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
4516 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
4517 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
4518 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
4519 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
4520 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
4521 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
4522 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
4523 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
4524 The other lines should be obvious.
4526 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
4527 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
4528 than you are used to.
4530 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
4531 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
4532 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
4534 @node Configuring nnmairix
4535 @subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
4537 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
4538 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
4539 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
4540 server. You will have to specify the following:
4545 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
4549 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
4550 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
4551 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
4552 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
4553 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
4554 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
4555 However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
4556 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
4557 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
4558 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
4559 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might lose mail
4560 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
4561 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
4562 @code{nnimap} server here.
4565 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
4566 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
4567 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
4568 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
4569 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
4570 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
4571 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
4574 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
4575 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
4576 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
4580 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
4581 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
4582 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
4583 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
4584 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
4588 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4589 @subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4596 @kindex G b c (Group)
4597 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
4598 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
4599 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
4600 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
4603 @kindex G b s (Group)
4604 @findex nnmairix-search
4605 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
4606 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
4607 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
4610 @kindex G b m (Group)
4611 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
4612 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
4613 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
4614 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
4617 @kindex G b i (Group)
4618 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
4619 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
4620 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
4623 @kindex G b g (Group)
4624 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
4625 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
4626 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
4627 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
4631 @kindex G b q (Group)
4632 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
4633 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
4634 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
4637 @kindex G b t (Group)
4638 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
4639 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
4640 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
4641 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
4644 @kindex G b u (Group)
4645 @findex nnmairix-update-database
4646 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
4647 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
4648 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
4649 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
4650 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
4654 @kindex G b r (Group)
4655 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
4656 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
4657 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
4660 @kindex G b d (Group)
4661 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
4662 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
4663 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
4664 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
4667 @kindex G b a (Group)
4668 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
4669 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
4670 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
4671 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
4672 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
4673 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
4674 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
4675 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
4676 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
4679 @kindex G b p (Group)
4680 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
4681 Toggle marks propagation for this group
4682 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
4686 @kindex G b o (Group)
4687 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
4688 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
4689 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
4698 @kindex $ m (Summary)
4699 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
4700 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
4701 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
4702 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
4705 @kindex $ g (Summary)
4706 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
4707 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
4708 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
4709 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
4712 @kindex $ t (Summary)
4713 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
4714 Searches thread for the current article
4715 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
4716 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
4717 current article and enabled threads.
4720 @kindex $ f (Summary)
4721 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
4722 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
4723 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
4724 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
4727 @kindex $ o (Summary)
4728 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
4729 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
4730 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
4731 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
4732 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
4733 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
4734 article file name as a fallback method.
4737 @kindex $ u (Summary)
4738 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
4739 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
4740 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
4745 @node Propagating marks
4746 @subsubsection Propagating marks
4748 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
4749 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
4750 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
4752 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
4754 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
4755 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
4756 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
4757 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
4760 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
4761 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
4762 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
4763 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
4764 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
4765 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
4766 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
4767 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
4768 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
4769 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
4771 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
4772 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
4773 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
4774 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
4775 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
4776 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
4777 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
4779 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
4780 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
4781 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
4782 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
4783 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
4784 even more cumbersome.
4786 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
4787 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
4788 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
4790 Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
4791 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
4792 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
4793 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
4794 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
4795 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
4796 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
4798 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
4799 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
4800 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
4801 magically be set for the original article, too.
4803 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
4805 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
4806 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
4807 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
4808 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
4809 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
4810 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
4813 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
4814 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
4815 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
4816 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
4817 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
4818 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
4819 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
4821 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
4822 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
4823 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
4824 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
4825 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
4826 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
4827 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
4829 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
4830 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
4831 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
4832 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
4833 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
4834 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
4835 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
4836 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
4837 maildir as its file format.
4839 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
4840 If you work with this setup, just set
4841 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
4842 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
4843 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
4844 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
4845 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
4846 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
4848 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
4849 @subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
4855 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
4856 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
4857 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
4860 I use the following to check for mails:
4863 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
4865 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
4866 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
4867 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
4868 (gnus-group-list-groups))
4870 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
4873 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
4874 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
4878 Example: search group for ticked articles
4880 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
4881 articles always stay unread:
4883 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
4884 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
4886 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
4887 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
4889 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
4890 group? There are two options: You may simply use
4891 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
4892 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
4893 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
4894 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
4895 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
4896 e.g. by marking an article as read.
4898 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
4899 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
4900 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
4901 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
4902 snippet and the doc string for details.
4905 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
4907 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
4908 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
4909 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
4910 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
4911 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
4912 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
4913 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
4914 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
4915 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
4916 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
4917 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
4918 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
4921 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
4922 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
4927 @node nnmairix caveats
4928 @subsubsection nnmairix caveats
4932 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
4933 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
4934 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
4935 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
4936 an example server definition:
4939 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
4942 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variabe
4943 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
4944 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
4948 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
4949 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
4950 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
4951 you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
4952 split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
4953 you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
4956 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
4957 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
4960 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
4961 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
4964 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
4967 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
4968 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
4969 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
4970 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
4971 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
4972 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
4976 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
4977 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
4978 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
4979 it is gone for good.
4982 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
4983 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
4984 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
4985 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
4986 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
4987 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
4988 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
4989 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
4990 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4993 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
4994 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
4996 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
4997 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
4998 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
4999 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
5000 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
5001 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
5002 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
5003 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
5004 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
5005 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
5006 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
5007 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
5011 @node Misc Group Stuff
5012 @section Misc Group Stuff
5015 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
5016 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
5017 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
5018 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
5019 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
5026 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
5027 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5028 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5031 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
5034 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
5037 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
5038 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
5042 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
5043 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
5044 @xref{Server Buffer}.
5048 @findex gnus-group-post-news
5049 Start composing a message (a news by default)
5050 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
5051 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5052 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
5053 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
5054 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5058 @findex gnus-group-mail
5059 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
5060 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
5061 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5062 @xref{Composing Messages}.
5066 @findex gnus-group-news
5067 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
5068 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
5069 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5071 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5072 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5073 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5074 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5075 for this to work though.
5079 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
5081 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
5082 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
5083 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
5088 Variables for the group buffer:
5092 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
5093 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
5094 is called after the group buffer has been
5097 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
5098 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5099 is called after the group buffer is
5100 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
5103 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
5104 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5105 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
5106 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
5108 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5109 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5110 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
5111 whether they are empty or not.
5115 @node Scanning New Messages
5116 @subsection Scanning New Messages
5117 @cindex new messages
5118 @cindex scanning new news
5124 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
5125 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
5126 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
5127 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
5128 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
5129 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
5134 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
5135 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
5136 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
5137 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
5138 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
5139 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
5140 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
5142 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
5143 @cindex activating groups
5145 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
5146 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
5151 @findex gnus-group-restart
5152 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
5153 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
5154 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
5158 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
5159 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
5161 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
5162 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
5166 @node Group Information
5167 @subsection Group Information
5168 @cindex group information
5169 @cindex information on groups
5176 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
5177 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
5180 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
5181 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
5182 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
5183 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
5184 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
5185 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
5186 used for fetching the file.
5188 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
5189 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
5193 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
5195 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
5196 @cindex describing groups
5197 @cindex group description
5198 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
5199 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
5200 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
5204 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
5205 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
5206 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
5213 @findex gnus-version
5214 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
5218 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
5219 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
5222 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
5225 @findex gnus-info-find-node
5226 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
5230 @node Group Timestamp
5231 @subsection Group Timestamp
5233 @cindex group timestamps
5235 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
5236 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
5237 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
5240 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
5243 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
5245 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
5246 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
5249 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5250 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
5253 This will result in lines looking like:
5256 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
5257 0: custom 19961002T012713
5260 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
5261 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
5265 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5266 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
5269 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
5270 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
5274 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5275 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
5276 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
5277 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
5279 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
5285 @subsection File Commands
5286 @cindex file commands
5292 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
5293 @vindex gnus-init-file
5294 @cindex reading init file
5295 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
5296 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
5300 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
5301 @cindex saving .newsrc
5302 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
5303 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
5304 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
5307 @c @kindex Z (Group)
5308 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
5309 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
5314 @node Sieve Commands
5315 @subsection Sieve Commands
5316 @cindex group sieve commands
5318 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
5319 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
5320 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
5321 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
5322 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
5324 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5325 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
5326 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
5327 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
5328 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
5329 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
5330 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
5331 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
5332 regenerate the Sieve script.
5334 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
5335 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
5336 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
5337 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
5338 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
5339 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
5340 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
5341 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
5342 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
5343 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
5346 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
5347 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
5352 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
5358 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
5359 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5360 @cindex generating sieve script
5361 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
5362 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
5366 @findex gnus-sieve-update
5367 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5368 @cindex updating sieve script
5369 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
5370 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
5371 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
5376 @node Summary Buffer
5377 @chapter Summary Buffer
5378 @cindex summary buffer
5380 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
5381 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
5383 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
5384 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
5386 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
5388 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
5389 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
5393 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
5394 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5395 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5397 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
5401 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
5402 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
5403 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
5404 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
5405 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
5406 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
5407 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
5408 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
5409 * Threading:: How threads are made.
5410 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
5411 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
5412 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
5413 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
5414 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
5415 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
5416 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
5417 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
5418 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
5419 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
5420 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
5421 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
5422 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
5423 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
5424 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
5425 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
5426 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
5427 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
5428 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
5429 or reselecting the current group.
5430 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
5431 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
5432 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
5433 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
5437 @node Summary Buffer Format
5438 @section Summary Buffer Format
5439 @cindex summary buffer format
5443 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
5444 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
5445 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
5451 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
5452 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
5453 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
5454 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
5457 @findex mail-extract-address-components
5458 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
5459 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
5460 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
5461 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
5462 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
5463 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
5464 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
5465 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
5466 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
5467 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
5470 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
5471 'mail-extract-address-components)
5474 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
5475 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
5476 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
5477 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
5480 @node Summary Buffer Lines
5481 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
5483 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5484 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
5485 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
5486 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
5487 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
5489 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
5490 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
5491 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
5492 possible to change this. Just write a new function
5493 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
5494 @xref{Positioning Point}.
5496 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
5498 The following format specification characters and extended format
5499 specification(s) are understood:
5505 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
5506 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
5508 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
5509 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
5510 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
5512 Full @code{From} header.
5514 The name (from the @code{From} header).
5516 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
5519 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
5520 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
5521 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
5522 may be more thorough.
5524 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
5527 Number of lines in the article.
5529 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
5530 in some methods (like nnfolder).
5532 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
5533 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
5535 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5537 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
5538 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
5551 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
5552 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
5553 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
5554 line-drawing glyphs.
5556 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5557 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5558 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
5559 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5561 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5562 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5563 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
5564 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5566 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5567 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5568 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
5569 instead. The default is @samp{}.
5571 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5572 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5573 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
5575 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5576 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5577 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
5579 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5580 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5581 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
5583 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5584 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5585 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
5590 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
5591 pushes everything after it off the screen).
5593 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
5594 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5596 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
5597 for adopted articles.
5599 One space for each thread level.
5601 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
5603 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
5606 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
5607 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
5608 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
5611 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
5613 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
5614 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
5615 default level. If the difference between
5616 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
5617 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
5625 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
5627 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
5633 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
5634 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
5636 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
5637 article has any children.
5643 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
5645 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
5646 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
5648 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
5649 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
5650 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
5651 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
5652 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
5653 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
5656 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
5657 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
5658 There can only be one such area.
5660 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
5661 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
5662 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
5663 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
5664 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
5665 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5667 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5668 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5670 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5673 @node To From Newsgroups
5674 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5678 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5679 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5680 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5681 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5682 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5686 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5687 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5688 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5692 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5693 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5696 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5697 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5700 @findex gnus-extra-header
5701 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5702 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5703 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5706 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5710 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5711 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5712 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5713 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5714 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5715 headers are used instead.
5717 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5718 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5719 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5720 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5721 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5722 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5726 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5727 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5728 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5729 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5730 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5731 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5734 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5735 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5736 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5737 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5739 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5743 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5745 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5746 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5747 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5748 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5752 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5755 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5756 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5759 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5760 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5761 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5767 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5768 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5771 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5772 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5774 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5775 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5776 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5777 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5779 Here are the elements you can play with:
5785 Unprefixed group name.
5787 Current article number.
5789 Current article score.
5793 Number of unread articles in this group.
5795 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5798 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5799 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5800 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5801 and no unselected ones.
5803 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5804 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5806 Subject of the current article.
5808 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5810 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5812 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5814 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5816 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5818 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5822 @node Summary Highlighting
5823 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5827 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5828 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5829 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5830 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5831 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5833 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5834 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5835 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5836 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5838 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5839 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5840 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5841 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5843 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5844 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5845 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5846 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5847 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5848 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5851 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5852 ((> score default) . bold))
5854 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5855 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5859 @node Summary Maneuvering
5860 @section Summary Maneuvering
5861 @cindex summary movement
5863 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5864 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5866 None of these commands select articles.
5871 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5872 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5873 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5874 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5875 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5879 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5880 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5881 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5882 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5883 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5886 @kindex G g (Summary)
5887 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5888 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5889 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5892 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5893 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5894 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5895 to the group buffer.
5897 Variables related to summary movement:
5901 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5902 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5903 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5904 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5905 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5906 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5907 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5908 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5909 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5910 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5911 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5912 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5913 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5914 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5916 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5917 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5918 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5919 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5920 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5921 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5922 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5924 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5926 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5927 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5928 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5929 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5930 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5932 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5933 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5934 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5935 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5936 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5937 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5938 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5939 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5942 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5943 the given number of lines from the top.
5945 @item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5946 @vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5947 If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
5948 @kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
5953 @node Choosing Articles
5954 @section Choosing Articles
5955 @cindex selecting articles
5958 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5959 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5963 @node Choosing Commands
5964 @subsection Choosing Commands
5966 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5967 and they all select and display an article.
5969 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5970 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5974 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5976 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5977 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5979 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5980 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5981 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5986 @kindex G n (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5988 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5989 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5994 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5995 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5996 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
6001 @kindex G N (Summary)
6002 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
6003 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
6008 @kindex G P (Summary)
6009 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
6010 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
6013 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
6015 Go to the next article with the same subject
6016 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
6019 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
6020 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
6021 Go to the previous article with the same subject
6022 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
6026 @kindex G f (Summary)
6028 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
6029 Go to the first unread article
6030 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
6034 @kindex G b (Summary)
6036 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
6037 Go to the unread article with the highest score
6038 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
6039 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
6044 @kindex G l (Summary)
6045 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
6046 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
6049 @kindex G o (Summary)
6050 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
6052 @cindex article history
6053 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
6054 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
6055 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
6056 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
6057 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
6058 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
6063 @kindex G j (Summary)
6064 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
6065 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
6066 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
6071 @node Choosing Variables
6072 @subsection Choosing Variables
6074 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
6077 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6078 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6079 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
6080 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
6081 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
6082 the server and display it in the article buffer.
6084 @item gnus-select-article-hook
6085 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
6086 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
6087 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
6088 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
6091 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
6092 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
6093 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
6094 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
6095 @findex gnus-unread-mark
6096 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
6097 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
6098 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
6099 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
6100 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
6101 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
6102 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
6103 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
6104 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
6109 @node Paging the Article
6110 @section Scrolling the Article
6111 @cindex article scrolling
6116 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6118 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
6119 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
6120 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6122 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
6123 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
6124 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
6125 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
6126 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
6127 what is considered uninteresting with
6128 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
6129 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
6132 @kindex DEL (Summary)
6133 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
6134 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
6137 @kindex RET (Summary)
6138 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
6139 Scroll the current article one line forward
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
6143 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
6144 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
6145 Scroll the current article one line backward
6146 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
6150 @kindex A g (Summary)
6152 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
6153 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6154 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
6155 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
6156 article treatment functions. If given a prefix twice (i.e., @kbd{C-u
6157 C-u g'}), show a completely ``raw'' article, just the way it came from
6160 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
6161 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
6162 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
6163 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
6166 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6171 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
6176 @kindex A < (Summary)
6177 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
6178 Scroll to the beginning of the article
6179 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
6184 @kindex A > (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
6186 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
6190 @kindex A s (Summary)
6192 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
6193 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
6194 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
6198 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
6199 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
6204 @node Reply Followup and Post
6205 @section Reply, Followup and Post
6208 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
6209 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
6210 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
6211 * Canceling and Superseding::
6215 @node Summary Mail Commands
6216 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
6218 @cindex composing mail
6220 Commands for composing a mail message:
6226 @kindex S r (Summary)
6228 @findex gnus-summary-reply
6229 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
6230 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
6231 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
6232 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
6237 @kindex S R (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
6239 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
6240 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6241 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
6242 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6245 @kindex S w (Summary)
6246 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
6247 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
6248 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
6249 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6250 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
6251 present, that's used instead.
6254 @kindex S W (Summary)
6255 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
6256 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
6257 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
6258 the process/prefix convention, but only uses the headers from the
6259 first article to determine the recipients.
6262 @kindex S v (Summary)
6263 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
6264 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
6265 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
6266 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6267 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
6268 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
6271 @kindex S V (Summary)
6272 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
6273 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
6274 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
6275 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6278 @kindex S B r (Summary)
6279 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
6280 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
6281 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
6282 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
6283 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
6284 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
6285 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
6288 @kindex S B R (Summary)
6289 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
6290 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6291 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
6292 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
6296 @kindex S o m (Summary)
6297 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
6298 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
6299 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
6300 Forward the current article to some other person
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
6302 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
6303 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6304 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6305 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6306 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6307 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6308 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6309 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
6315 @kindex S m (Summary)
6316 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
6317 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
6318 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
6319 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6320 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
6323 @kindex S i (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
6325 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
6326 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
6327 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
6329 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
6330 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
6331 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
6332 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
6333 for this to work though.
6336 @kindex S D b (Summary)
6337 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
6338 @cindex bouncing mail
6339 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
6340 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
6341 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
6342 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
6343 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
6344 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
6345 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
6346 very well fail, though.
6349 @kindex S D r (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
6351 Not to be confused with the previous command,
6352 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
6353 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
6354 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
6355 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
6356 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
6357 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
6358 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
6360 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
6361 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
6362 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
6363 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
6364 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
6366 This command understands the process/prefix convention
6367 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6370 @kindex S D e (Summary)
6371 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
6373 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
6374 if it were a new message before resending.
6377 @kindex S O m (Summary)
6378 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
6379 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
6380 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
6381 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6384 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
6385 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
6386 @cindex crossposting
6387 @cindex excessive crossposting
6388 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
6389 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
6391 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
6392 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
6393 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
6394 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
6395 command understands the process/prefix convention
6396 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
6400 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6401 Manual}, for more information.
6404 @node Summary Post Commands
6405 @subsection Summary Post Commands
6407 @cindex composing news
6409 Commands for posting a news article:
6415 @kindex S p (Summary)
6416 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
6417 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
6418 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
6419 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6420 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
6425 @kindex S f (Summary)
6426 @findex gnus-summary-followup
6427 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
6428 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
6432 @kindex S F (Summary)
6434 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
6435 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
6436 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
6437 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
6438 process/prefix convention.
6441 @kindex S n (Summary)
6442 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
6443 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6444 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
6447 @kindex S N (Summary)
6448 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
6449 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6450 message through mail and include the original message
6451 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
6452 the process/prefix convention.
6455 @kindex S o p (Summary)
6456 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
6457 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
6458 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
6459 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
6460 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
6461 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6462 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6463 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6464 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6465 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6466 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6467 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
6470 @kindex S O p (Summary)
6471 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
6473 @cindex making digests
6474 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
6475 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
6476 process/prefix convention.
6479 @kindex S u (Summary)
6480 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
6481 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
6482 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
6483 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
6486 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6487 Manual}, for more information.
6490 @node Summary Message Commands
6491 @subsection Summary Message Commands
6495 @kindex S y (Summary)
6496 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
6497 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
6498 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
6499 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
6500 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6505 @node Canceling and Superseding
6506 @subsection Canceling Articles
6507 @cindex canceling articles
6508 @cindex superseding articles
6510 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
6511 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
6513 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
6515 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
6517 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
6518 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
6519 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
6520 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
6521 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
6522 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6524 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
6525 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
6528 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
6529 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
6530 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
6532 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
6533 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
6534 message, Message Manual}).
6536 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
6537 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
6538 your original article.
6540 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
6542 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
6543 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
6544 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
6547 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
6548 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
6549 have posted almost the same article twice.
6551 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
6552 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
6553 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
6554 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
6555 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
6556 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
6557 header by substituting one of those words for the word
6558 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
6559 you would do normally. The previous article will be
6560 canceled/superseded.
6562 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
6564 @node Delayed Articles
6565 @section Delayed Articles
6566 @cindex delayed sending
6567 @cindex send delayed
6569 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
6570 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
6571 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
6572 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
6575 (gnus-delay-initialize)
6578 @findex gnus-delay-article
6579 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
6580 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
6581 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
6582 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
6586 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
6587 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
6588 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
6589 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
6592 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
6593 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
6594 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
6597 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
6598 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
6599 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
6600 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
6601 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
6602 that means a time tomorrow.
6605 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
6606 couple of variables:
6609 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
6610 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
6611 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
6612 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
6614 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
6615 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
6616 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
6617 formats described above.
6619 @item gnus-delay-group
6620 @vindex gnus-delay-group
6621 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
6622 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
6623 value is @code{"delayed"}.
6625 @item gnus-delay-header
6626 @vindex gnus-delay-header
6627 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
6628 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
6629 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
6632 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
6633 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
6634 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
6635 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
6636 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
6638 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
6639 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
6640 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
6641 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
6642 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
6643 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
6644 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
6647 @item gnus-delay-initialize
6648 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
6649 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
6650 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
6651 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
6652 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
6653 argument is ignored.
6655 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
6656 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
6657 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6660 When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
6661 automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
6662 many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
6663 time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
6664 @code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
6667 @node Marking Articles
6668 @section Marking Articles
6669 @cindex article marking
6670 @cindex article ticking
6673 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6675 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6676 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6677 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6679 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6682 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6686 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6687 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6688 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6689 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6690 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6691 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6695 @node Unread Articles
6696 @subsection Unread Articles
6698 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6703 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6704 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6706 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6707 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6708 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6709 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6710 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6711 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6712 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6715 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6716 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6718 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6719 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6720 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6721 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6725 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6726 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6728 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6733 @subsection Read Articles
6734 @cindex expirable mark
6736 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6741 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6742 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6743 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6746 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6747 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6750 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6751 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6752 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6755 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6756 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6759 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6760 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6763 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6764 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6767 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6768 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6771 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6772 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6775 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6776 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6780 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6781 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6782 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6786 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6787 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6789 One more special mark, though:
6793 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6794 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6796 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6797 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6798 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6799 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6805 @subsection Other Marks
6806 @cindex process mark
6809 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6815 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6816 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6817 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6818 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6819 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6822 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6823 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6824 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6825 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6828 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6829 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6830 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6833 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6834 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6835 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6838 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6839 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6840 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6841 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6844 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6845 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6846 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6847 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6848 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6849 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6852 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6853 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6854 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6855 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6858 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6859 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6860 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6861 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6862 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6866 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6867 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6868 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6869 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6870 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6871 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6874 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6875 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6876 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6877 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6878 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6879 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6883 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6884 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6885 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6886 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6887 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6890 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6891 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6892 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6893 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6894 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6895 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6899 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6900 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6901 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6903 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6904 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6905 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6909 @subsection Setting Marks
6910 @cindex setting marks
6912 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6917 @kindex M c (Summary)
6918 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6919 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6920 @cindex mark as unread
6921 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6922 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6928 @kindex M t (Summary)
6929 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6930 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6931 @xref{Article Caching}.
6936 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6937 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6938 Mark the current article as dormant
6939 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6943 @kindex M d (Summary)
6945 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6946 Mark the current article as read
6947 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6951 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6952 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6953 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6958 @kindex M k (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6960 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6961 and then select the next unread article
6962 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6966 @kindex M K (Summary)
6967 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6968 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6969 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6970 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6973 @kindex M C (Summary)
6974 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6975 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6976 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6979 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6980 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6981 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6982 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6985 @kindex M H (Summary)
6986 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6987 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6988 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6991 @kindex M h (Summary)
6992 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6993 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6994 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6997 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6998 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6999 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
7000 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
7003 @kindex M V k (Summary)
7004 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
7005 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
7006 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
7010 @kindex M e (Summary)
7012 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
7013 Mark the current article as expirable
7014 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
7017 @kindex M b (Summary)
7018 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
7019 Set a bookmark in the current article
7020 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
7023 @kindex M B (Summary)
7024 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
7025 Remove the bookmark from the current article
7026 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
7029 @kindex M V c (Summary)
7030 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
7031 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
7032 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7035 @kindex M V u (Summary)
7036 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
7037 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
7038 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
7041 @kindex M V m (Summary)
7042 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
7043 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
7044 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
7045 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7048 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
7049 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
7050 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
7051 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
7052 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
7053 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
7054 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
7055 The default is @code{t}.
7058 @node Generic Marking Commands
7059 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
7061 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
7062 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
7063 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
7064 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
7065 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
7068 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
7069 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
7072 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
7073 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
7074 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
7075 to list in this manual.
7077 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
7078 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
7079 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
7080 article, you could say something like:
7084 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
7085 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7086 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
7094 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7095 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
7099 @node Setting Process Marks
7100 @subsection Setting Process Marks
7101 @cindex setting process marks
7103 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
7104 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
7105 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
7106 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
7107 articles into the cache. For more information,
7108 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
7115 @kindex M P p (Summary)
7116 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
7117 Mark the current article with the process mark
7118 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
7119 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
7123 @kindex M P u (Summary)
7124 @kindex M-# (Summary)
7125 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
7126 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
7129 @kindex M P U (Summary)
7130 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
7131 Remove the process mark from all articles
7132 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
7135 @kindex M P i (Summary)
7136 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
7137 Invert the list of process marked articles
7138 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
7141 @kindex M P R (Summary)
7142 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
7143 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7144 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
7147 @kindex M P G (Summary)
7148 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
7149 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7150 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
7153 @kindex M P r (Summary)
7154 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
7155 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
7158 @kindex M P g (Summary)
7159 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
7160 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
7163 @kindex M P t (Summary)
7164 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7165 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7166 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7169 @kindex M P T (Summary)
7170 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7171 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7172 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7175 @kindex M P v (Summary)
7176 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
7177 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
7178 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
7181 @kindex M P s (Summary)
7182 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
7183 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
7186 @kindex M P S (Summary)
7187 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
7188 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
7189 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
7192 @kindex M P a (Summary)
7193 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
7194 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
7197 @kindex M P b (Summary)
7198 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
7199 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
7200 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
7203 @kindex M P k (Summary)
7204 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
7205 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
7206 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
7209 @kindex M P y (Summary)
7210 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
7211 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
7212 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
7215 @kindex M P w (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
7217 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
7218 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
7222 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
7223 set process marks based on article body contents.
7230 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
7231 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
7232 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
7235 Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
7236 the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
7243 @kindex / / (Summary)
7244 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
7245 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
7246 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
7250 @kindex / a (Summary)
7251 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
7252 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
7253 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
7257 @kindex / R (Summary)
7258 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
7259 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
7260 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
7264 @kindex / A (Summary)
7265 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
7266 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
7267 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
7268 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
7271 @kindex / S (Summary)
7272 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
7273 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
7274 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
7275 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
7278 @kindex / x (Summary)
7279 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
7280 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
7281 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
7282 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
7287 @kindex / u (Summary)
7289 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
7290 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
7291 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
7292 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
7293 dormant articles will also be excluded.
7296 @kindex / m (Summary)
7297 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
7298 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
7299 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
7302 @kindex / t (Summary)
7303 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
7304 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
7305 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
7306 articles younger than that number of days.
7309 @kindex / n (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
7311 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
7312 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
7313 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
7316 @kindex / w (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
7318 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
7319 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
7323 @kindex / . (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
7325 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
7326 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
7329 @kindex / v (Summary)
7330 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
7331 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
7332 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
7335 @kindex / p (Summary)
7336 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
7337 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
7338 group parameter predicate
7339 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
7340 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
7343 @kindex / r (Summary)
7344 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
7345 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
7346 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
7351 @kindex M S (Summary)
7352 @kindex / E (Summary)
7353 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
7354 Include all expunged articles in the limit
7355 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
7358 @kindex / D (Summary)
7359 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
7360 Include all dormant articles in the limit
7361 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
7364 @kindex / * (Summary)
7365 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
7366 Include all cached articles in the limit
7367 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
7370 @kindex / d (Summary)
7371 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
7372 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
7373 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
7376 @kindex / M (Summary)
7377 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
7378 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
7381 @kindex / T (Summary)
7382 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
7383 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
7386 @kindex / c (Summary)
7387 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
7388 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
7389 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
7392 @kindex / C (Summary)
7393 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
7394 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
7395 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
7396 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
7399 @kindex / b (Summary)
7400 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
7401 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
7402 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
7403 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
7404 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
7407 @kindex / h (Summary)
7408 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
7409 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
7410 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
7415 The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
7420 @kindex / N (Summary)
7421 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
7422 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
7423 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
7426 @kindex / o (Summary)
7427 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
7428 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
7429 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
7437 @cindex article threading
7439 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
7440 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
7441 hierarchical fashion.
7443 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
7444 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
7445 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
7446 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
7447 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
7448 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
7449 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
7451 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
7455 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
7458 A tree-like article structure.
7461 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
7464 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
7465 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
7466 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
7467 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
7468 called loose threads.
7470 @item thread gathering
7471 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
7473 @item sparse threads
7474 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
7475 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
7481 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
7482 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
7486 @node Customizing Threading
7487 @subsection Customizing Threading
7488 @cindex customizing threading
7491 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
7492 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
7493 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
7494 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
7499 @subsubsection Loose Threads
7502 @cindex loose threads
7505 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
7506 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
7507 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
7508 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
7509 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
7510 read or killed the root in a previous session.
7512 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
7513 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
7514 There are four possible values:
7518 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
7519 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
7520 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
7521 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
7522 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
7527 @cindex adopting articles
7532 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
7533 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
7534 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
7535 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
7538 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
7539 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
7540 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
7541 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
7542 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
7543 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
7544 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
7545 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7546 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
7547 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
7550 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
7551 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
7552 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
7556 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
7557 display them after one another.
7560 Don't gather loose threads.
7563 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7564 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7565 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
7566 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
7567 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
7568 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
7569 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
7570 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
7571 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
7572 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
7573 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
7575 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
7576 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
7577 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
7580 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7581 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7582 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
7583 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
7584 simplification is used.
7586 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7587 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7588 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
7589 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
7591 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
7593 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7599 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
7600 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
7601 "answer" "reference" "announce"
7602 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
7607 (mapconcat 'identity
7608 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
7610 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
7613 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
7616 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7617 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7618 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
7619 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
7620 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
7621 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
7623 Useful functions to put in this list include:
7626 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
7627 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
7628 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
7630 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7631 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7634 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
7635 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
7636 Remove excessive whitespace.
7638 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7639 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7640 Remove all whitespace.
7643 You may also write your own functions, of course.
7646 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7647 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7648 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
7649 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
7650 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
7651 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
7652 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
7653 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
7655 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7656 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7657 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
7658 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
7659 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
7660 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
7661 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
7662 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
7663 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
7667 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7668 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7669 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7670 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7672 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7673 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7674 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7677 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7681 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7682 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7688 @node Filling In Threads
7689 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7692 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7693 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7694 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7695 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7696 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7697 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7698 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7699 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7700 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7701 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7702 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7703 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7706 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7707 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7708 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7710 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7712 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7713 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7714 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7715 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7716 slow summary generation.
7718 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7719 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7720 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7723 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7724 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7725 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7726 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7727 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7728 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7729 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7730 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7731 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7732 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7733 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7734 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7735 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7736 @code{nil} by default.
7738 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7739 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7740 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7741 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7742 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7743 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7746 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7747 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7748 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7753 @node More Threading
7754 @subsubsection More Threading
7757 @item gnus-show-threads
7758 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7759 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7760 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7761 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7762 slower and more awkward.
7764 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7765 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7766 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7769 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7770 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7771 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7776 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7777 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7778 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7781 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7782 unread, but you get my drift.)
7785 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7786 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7787 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7788 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7789 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7790 threads are expunged.
7792 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7793 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7794 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7797 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7798 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7799 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7800 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7801 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7802 result in a new thread.
7804 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7805 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7806 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7809 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7810 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7811 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7812 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7813 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7814 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7815 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7816 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7817 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7818 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7819 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7824 @node Low-Level Threading
7825 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7829 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7830 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7831 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7833 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7834 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7835 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7836 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7837 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7838 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7839 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7840 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7841 meaningful. Here's one example:
7844 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7846 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7847 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7849 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7851 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7858 @node Thread Commands
7859 @subsection Thread Commands
7860 @cindex thread commands
7866 @kindex T k (Summary)
7867 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7868 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7869 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7870 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7871 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7876 @kindex T l (Summary)
7877 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7878 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7879 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7880 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7883 @kindex T i (Summary)
7884 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7885 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7886 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7889 @kindex T # (Summary)
7890 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7891 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7892 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7895 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7896 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7897 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7898 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7901 @kindex T T (Summary)
7902 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7903 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7906 @kindex T s (Summary)
7907 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7908 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7909 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7912 @kindex T h (Summary)
7913 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7914 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7917 @kindex T S (Summary)
7918 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7919 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7922 @kindex T H (Summary)
7923 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7924 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7927 @kindex T t (Summary)
7928 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7929 Re-thread the current article's thread
7930 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7931 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7934 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7935 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7936 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7937 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7940 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7941 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7942 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7943 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7947 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7948 understand the numeric prefix.
7953 @kindex T n (Summary)
7955 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7957 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7958 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7959 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7962 @kindex T p (Summary)
7964 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7966 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7967 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7968 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7971 @kindex T d (Summary)
7972 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7973 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7976 @kindex T u (Summary)
7977 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7978 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7981 @kindex T o (Summary)
7982 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7983 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7986 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7987 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7988 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7989 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7990 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7991 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7992 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7993 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7994 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7995 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7996 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7997 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
8001 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
8002 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
8004 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
8005 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
8006 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
8007 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8008 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
8009 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
8010 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8011 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
8012 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
8013 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
8014 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
8015 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
8016 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
8017 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
8018 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
8020 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
8021 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
8022 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
8023 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
8024 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
8025 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
8026 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
8027 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
8028 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
8029 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
8031 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
8032 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
8033 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
8035 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
8036 last function in the list. You should probably always include
8037 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
8038 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
8039 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
8040 ascending article order.
8042 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
8043 by number, you could do something like:
8046 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8047 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8048 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8049 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
8052 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
8053 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
8054 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
8055 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
8056 which the articles arrived.
8058 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
8062 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8063 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
8064 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
8067 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
8068 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
8069 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
8070 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
8073 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
8074 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
8075 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
8076 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
8077 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
8078 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
8079 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
8080 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
8081 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
8082 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
8083 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
8084 variable. It is very similar to the
8085 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
8086 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
8087 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
8088 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
8089 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
8090 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
8091 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
8093 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
8097 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
8098 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
8099 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
8102 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
8103 @xref{Group Parameters}.
8106 @node Asynchronous Fetching
8107 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
8108 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
8109 @cindex article pre-fetch
8112 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
8113 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
8114 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
8115 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
8116 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
8118 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
8119 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
8121 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
8122 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
8123 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
8124 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
8125 connection is blocked.
8127 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
8128 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
8129 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
8130 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
8132 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
8133 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
8134 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
8135 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
8138 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
8141 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
8142 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
8143 happen automatically.
8145 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
8146 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
8147 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
8148 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
8149 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
8150 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
8151 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
8153 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
8154 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
8155 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
8156 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
8157 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
8158 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
8159 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
8160 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
8161 article data structure as the only parameter.
8163 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
8164 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
8167 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
8168 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
8169 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
8170 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
8173 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
8176 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
8177 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
8178 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
8180 @vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
8181 @findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
8182 After an article has been prefetched, this
8183 @code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
8184 be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
8185 value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
8186 and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
8187 wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
8188 for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
8190 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
8191 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
8192 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
8193 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
8197 Remove articles when they are read.
8200 Remove articles when exiting the group.
8203 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
8205 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
8206 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
8207 @c from the next group.
8210 @node Article Caching
8211 @section Article Caching
8212 @cindex article caching
8215 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
8216 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
8217 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
8218 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
8219 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
8221 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
8223 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8224 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
8225 @vindex gnus-use-cache
8226 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
8227 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
8228 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
8229 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
8230 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
8232 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
8233 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
8234 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
8235 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
8236 as dormant, and don't worry.
8238 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
8240 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
8241 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
8242 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
8243 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
8244 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
8245 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
8246 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
8247 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
8248 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
8249 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
8251 @findex gnus-jog-cache
8252 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
8253 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
8254 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
8255 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
8256 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
8257 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
8258 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
8259 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
8260 not then be downloaded by this command.
8262 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
8263 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
8264 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
8265 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
8266 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
8267 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
8269 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
8270 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
8271 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
8272 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
8273 variables, the group is not cached.
8275 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
8276 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
8277 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
8278 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
8279 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
8280 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
8281 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
8282 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
8283 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
8286 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
8287 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
8288 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
8289 where, isn't that cool?
8291 @node Persistent Articles
8292 @section Persistent Articles
8293 @cindex persistent articles
8295 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
8296 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
8297 useful in my opinion.
8299 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
8300 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
8301 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
8302 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
8303 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
8304 the expiry going on at the news server.
8306 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
8307 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
8308 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
8314 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
8315 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
8318 @kindex M-* (Summary)
8319 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
8320 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
8321 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
8325 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
8327 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
8328 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
8329 interested in persistent articles:
8332 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
8335 @node Sticky Articles
8336 @section Sticky Articles
8337 @cindex sticky articles
8339 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
8340 according to the value of the variable
8341 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
8342 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
8343 has its own article buffer.
8345 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
8346 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
8347 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
8348 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
8350 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
8351 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
8352 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
8356 @kindex A S (Summary)
8357 @findex gnus-sticky-article
8358 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
8359 name for this sticky article buffer.
8362 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
8368 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
8372 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
8373 Kills this sticky article buffer.
8376 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
8378 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
8379 Kill all sticky article buffers.
8380 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
8383 @node Article Backlog
8384 @section Article Backlog
8386 @cindex article backlog
8388 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
8389 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
8390 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
8391 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
8392 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
8393 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
8394 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
8395 increase memory usage some.
8397 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
8398 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
8399 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
8400 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
8401 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
8402 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
8403 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
8405 The default value is 20.
8408 @node Saving Articles
8409 @section Saving Articles
8410 @cindex saving articles
8412 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
8413 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
8414 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
8415 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
8416 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
8418 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
8419 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
8420 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8422 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
8423 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
8424 unwanted headers before saving the article.
8426 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
8427 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
8428 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
8429 deleted before saving.
8435 @kindex O o (Summary)
8437 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
8438 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
8439 Save the current article using the default article saver
8440 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
8443 @kindex O m (Summary)
8444 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
8445 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
8446 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
8449 @kindex O r (Summary)
8450 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
8451 Save the current article in Rmail format
8452 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
8453 Babyl in older versions.
8456 @kindex O f (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
8458 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
8459 Save the current article in plain file format
8460 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
8463 @kindex O F (Summary)
8464 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
8465 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
8466 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
8469 @kindex O b (Summary)
8470 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
8471 Save the current article body in plain file format
8472 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
8475 @kindex O h (Summary)
8476 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
8477 Save the current article in mh folder format
8478 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
8481 @kindex O v (Summary)
8482 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
8483 Save the current article in a VM folder
8484 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
8488 @kindex O p (Summary)
8490 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
8491 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
8492 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
8493 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
8494 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
8495 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
8496 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
8497 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
8498 to a string containing the default command and options (default
8502 @kindex O P (Summary)
8503 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
8504 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
8505 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
8506 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
8507 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
8508 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
8509 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
8513 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
8514 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
8515 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
8516 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
8517 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
8518 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
8519 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
8520 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
8521 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
8522 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
8523 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
8524 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
8528 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
8529 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
8530 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
8531 functions below, or you can create your own.
8535 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8536 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8537 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
8538 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8539 This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
8540 23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
8541 @dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
8542 Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
8543 of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
8544 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8545 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8547 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8548 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8549 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
8550 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
8551 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8552 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8554 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
8555 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
8556 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
8557 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8558 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
8559 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8560 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8562 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
8563 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
8564 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8565 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8566 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8567 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8569 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8570 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8571 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
8572 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8573 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8575 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8576 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8577 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8578 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8579 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8580 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8582 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8583 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8584 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
8585 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
8586 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
8589 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
8590 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
8591 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
8592 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
8593 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
8595 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8596 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8597 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
8598 reader to use this setting.
8600 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8601 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8602 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
8603 arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
8607 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
8609 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
8610 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
8611 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
8612 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
8613 last used for saving.
8616 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
8617 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
8618 headers will be piped.
8621 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
8625 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
8626 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
8627 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
8628 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
8629 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
8630 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
8633 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
8634 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
8635 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
8636 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
8637 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
8638 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8641 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
8642 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
8643 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
8644 headers should be saved.
8647 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
8648 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
8649 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
8650 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
8653 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
8654 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
8655 available functions that generate names:
8659 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8660 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8661 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8663 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8664 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8665 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8667 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8668 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8669 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8671 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8672 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8673 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8675 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8676 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8677 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8680 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8681 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8682 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8683 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8684 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8688 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8689 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8690 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8691 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8694 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8695 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8696 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8697 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8698 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8699 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8700 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8701 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8702 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8704 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8705 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8706 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8707 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8709 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8710 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8711 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8714 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8715 lots of mail groups called things like
8716 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8717 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8718 following will do just that:
8721 (defun my-save-name (group)
8722 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8723 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8725 (setq gnus-split-methods
8726 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8731 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8732 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8733 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8734 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8735 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8736 all the files in the top level directory
8737 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8738 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8739 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8740 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8742 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8743 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8744 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8745 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8746 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8749 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8753 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8754 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8755 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8758 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8759 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8760 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8761 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8764 @node Decoding Articles
8765 @section Decoding Articles
8766 @cindex decoding articles
8768 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8769 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8772 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8773 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8774 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8775 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8776 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8777 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8781 @cindex article series
8782 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8783 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8784 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8785 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8786 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8788 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8789 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8790 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8792 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8793 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8794 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8796 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8797 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8798 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8801 @node Uuencoded Articles
8802 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8804 @cindex uuencoded articles
8809 @kindex X u (Summary)
8810 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8811 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8812 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8815 @kindex X U (Summary)
8816 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8817 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8818 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8821 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8822 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8823 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8826 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8827 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8828 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8829 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8833 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8834 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8835 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8836 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8837 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8839 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8840 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8841 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8842 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8845 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8846 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8847 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8848 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8849 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8850 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8854 @node Shell Archives
8855 @subsection Shell Archives
8857 @cindex shell archives
8858 @cindex shared articles
8860 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8861 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8862 some commands to deal with these:
8867 @kindex X s (Summary)
8868 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8869 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8872 @kindex X S (Summary)
8873 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8874 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8877 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8878 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8879 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8882 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8883 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8884 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8885 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8889 @node PostScript Files
8890 @subsection PostScript Files
8896 @kindex X p (Summary)
8897 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8898 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8901 @kindex X P (Summary)
8902 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8903 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8904 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8907 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8908 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8909 View the current PostScript series
8910 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8913 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8914 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8915 View and save the current PostScript series
8916 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8921 @subsection Other Files
8925 @kindex X o (Summary)
8926 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8927 Save the current series
8928 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8931 @kindex X b (Summary)
8932 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8933 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8934 doesn't really work yet.
8937 @kindex X Y (Summary)
8938 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
8939 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
8943 @node Decoding Variables
8944 @subsection Decoding Variables
8946 Adjective, not verb.
8949 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8950 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8951 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8955 @node Rule Variables
8956 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8957 @cindex rule variables
8959 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8960 variables are of the form
8963 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8970 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8971 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8973 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8974 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8977 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8978 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8981 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8982 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8983 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8984 user and default view rules.
8986 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8987 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8988 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8993 @node Other Decode Variables
8994 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8997 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8999 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9000 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
9001 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
9002 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
9003 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
9007 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
9008 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
9011 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
9012 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
9013 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
9016 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9017 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9018 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
9019 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
9020 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
9023 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9024 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9025 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
9027 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9028 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9029 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
9030 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
9031 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
9034 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9035 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9036 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
9038 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9039 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9040 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
9041 looking for files to display.
9043 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
9044 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
9045 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
9048 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9049 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9050 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
9053 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9054 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9055 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
9058 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9059 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9060 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
9063 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9064 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9065 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
9066 decoded articles as unread.
9068 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9069 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9070 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
9071 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
9073 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9074 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9075 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
9077 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9078 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9080 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
9081 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
9082 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
9083 @code{metamail} for viewing.
9085 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9086 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9087 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
9088 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
9089 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
9090 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
9091 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
9092 simply dropped them.
9097 @node Uuencoding and Posting
9098 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
9102 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9103 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9104 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
9105 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
9106 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
9107 for you when you post the article.
9109 @item gnus-uu-post-length
9110 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
9111 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
9112 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
9114 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
9115 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
9116 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
9117 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
9118 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
9119 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
9120 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
9122 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9123 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9124 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
9125 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
9126 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
9127 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
9128 Default is @code{t}.
9134 @subsection Viewing Files
9135 @cindex viewing files
9136 @cindex pseudo-articles
9138 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
9139 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
9140 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
9141 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
9142 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
9143 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
9144 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
9146 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
9147 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
9148 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
9149 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
9151 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
9152 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
9153 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
9155 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
9156 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
9157 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
9158 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
9159 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
9161 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
9162 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
9163 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
9164 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
9165 a list of parameters to that command.
9167 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
9168 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
9169 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
9171 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
9172 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
9173 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
9176 @node Article Treatment
9177 @section Article Treatment
9179 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
9180 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
9181 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
9182 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
9183 these articles easier.
9186 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
9187 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
9188 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
9189 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
9190 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
9191 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
9192 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
9193 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
9194 * Article Display:: Display various stuff:
9195 X-Face, Picons, Gravatars, Smileys.
9196 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
9197 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
9201 @node Article Highlighting
9202 @subsection Article Highlighting
9203 @cindex highlighting
9205 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
9206 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
9211 @kindex W H a (Summary)
9212 @findex gnus-article-highlight
9213 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
9214 Do much highlighting of the current article
9215 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
9216 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
9219 @kindex W H h (Summary)
9220 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
9221 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
9222 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
9223 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
9224 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
9225 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
9226 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
9227 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
9228 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
9229 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
9230 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
9233 @kindex W H c (Summary)
9234 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
9235 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
9237 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
9240 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9242 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9243 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
9244 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
9246 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
9247 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
9248 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
9250 @item gnus-cite-face-list
9251 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
9252 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
9253 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
9254 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
9255 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
9257 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
9258 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
9259 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
9261 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9262 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9263 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
9265 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9266 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9267 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
9268 that it's a citation.
9270 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9271 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9272 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
9274 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9275 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9276 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
9278 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
9279 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
9280 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
9281 cited text belonging to the attribution.
9283 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9284 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9285 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
9286 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
9287 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
9294 @kindex W H s (Summary)
9295 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9296 @vindex gnus-signature-face
9297 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
9298 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
9299 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
9300 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
9301 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
9306 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
9309 @node Article Fontisizing
9310 @subsection Article Fontisizing
9312 @cindex article emphasis
9314 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
9315 @kindex W e (Summary)
9316 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
9317 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
9318 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
9319 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
9321 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
9322 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
9323 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
9324 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
9325 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
9326 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
9327 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
9328 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
9332 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
9333 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
9334 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
9343 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
9344 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
9345 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
9346 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
9347 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
9348 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
9349 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
9350 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
9351 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
9352 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
9353 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
9354 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
9355 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
9357 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
9358 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
9359 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
9363 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
9366 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
9368 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
9369 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
9370 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
9371 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
9373 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
9376 @node Article Hiding
9377 @subsection Article Hiding
9378 @cindex article hiding
9380 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
9381 too much cruft in most articles.
9386 @kindex W W a (Summary)
9387 @findex gnus-article-hide
9388 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
9389 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
9390 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
9393 @kindex W W h (Summary)
9394 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
9395 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
9399 @kindex W W b (Summary)
9400 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9401 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
9402 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
9405 @kindex W W s (Summary)
9406 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
9407 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
9411 @kindex W W l (Summary)
9412 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
9413 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9414 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
9415 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
9416 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
9417 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
9418 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
9422 @item gnus-list-identifiers
9423 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9424 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
9425 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
9430 @kindex W W P (Summary)
9431 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
9432 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
9433 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
9436 @kindex W W B (Summary)
9437 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
9438 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
9439 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9442 @cindex stripping advertisements
9443 @cindex advertisements
9444 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
9445 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
9446 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
9447 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
9448 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
9449 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
9450 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
9451 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
9452 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
9453 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
9459 (setq gnus-article-banner-alist
9461 "^\n*--~--~---------\\(.+\n\\)+")))
9464 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
9465 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
9466 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
9470 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9471 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9472 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
9473 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
9474 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
9475 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
9476 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
9477 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
9478 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
9479 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
9480 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
9483 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
9484 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
9490 @kindex W W c (Summary)
9491 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
9492 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
9493 customizing the hiding:
9497 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9498 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9499 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9500 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9501 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
9502 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
9503 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
9508 Starting point of the hidden text.
9510 Ending point of the hidden text.
9512 Number of characters in the hidden region.
9514 Number of lines of hidden text.
9517 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
9518 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
9519 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
9520 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
9521 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
9526 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
9527 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
9529 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
9530 following two variables:
9533 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9534 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9535 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
9536 50), hide the cited text.
9538 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9539 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9540 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
9545 @kindex W W C (Summary)
9546 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
9547 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
9548 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
9549 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
9550 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9554 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
9555 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
9556 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
9558 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
9559 citation customization.
9561 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
9565 @node Article Washing
9566 @subsection Article Washing
9568 @cindex article washing
9570 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
9571 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
9573 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
9574 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
9577 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
9578 articles by default.
9583 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
9584 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
9588 Force redisplaying of the current article
9589 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
9590 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
9591 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
9592 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9595 @kindex W l (Summary)
9596 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
9597 Remove page breaks from the current article
9598 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
9602 @kindex W r (Summary)
9603 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
9604 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
9605 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
9606 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
9607 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
9608 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
9610 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
9611 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
9612 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
9613 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
9616 @kindex W m (Summary)
9617 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
9618 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
9621 @kindex W i (Summary)
9622 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
9623 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
9624 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
9625 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
9626 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
9627 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
9632 @kindex W t (Summary)
9634 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
9635 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
9636 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
9639 @kindex W v (Summary)
9640 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
9641 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
9642 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
9645 @kindex W o (Summary)
9646 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
9647 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
9650 @kindex W d (Summary)
9651 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
9652 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
9654 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
9656 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
9657 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9658 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9659 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9662 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9663 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9664 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9665 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9668 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9669 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9670 @cindex Outlook Express
9671 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9672 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9673 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9676 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9677 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9678 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9679 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9680 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9681 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9682 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9683 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9684 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9685 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9688 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9689 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9690 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9691 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9694 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9695 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9696 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9697 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9700 @kindex W w (Summary)
9701 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9702 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9704 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9708 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9709 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9710 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9713 @kindex W C (Summary)
9714 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9715 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9716 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9719 @kindex W c (Summary)
9720 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9721 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9722 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9723 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9724 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9727 @kindex W q (Summary)
9728 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9729 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9730 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9731 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9732 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9733 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9734 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9735 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9736 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9739 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9740 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9741 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9742 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9743 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9744 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9745 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9746 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9749 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9750 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9751 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9752 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9753 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9756 @kindex W A (Summary)
9757 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9758 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9759 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9760 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9761 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9764 @kindex W u (Summary)
9765 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9766 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9767 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9768 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9769 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9772 @kindex W h (Summary)
9773 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9774 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9775 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9776 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9778 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9779 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9780 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9782 The default is to use the function specified by
9783 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9784 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9785 @acronym{HTML}. Pre-defined functions you can use include:
9789 Use Gnus simple html renderer.
9792 Use Gnus rendered based on w3m.
9798 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9800 @item w3m-standalone
9801 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9804 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9807 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9810 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9815 @kindex W b (Summary)
9816 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9817 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9818 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9821 @kindex W B (Summary)
9822 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9823 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9824 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9827 @kindex W p (Summary)
9828 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9829 Verify a signed control message
9830 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9831 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9832 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9833 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9834 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9835 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9838 @kindex W s (Summary)
9839 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9840 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9841 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9842 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9845 @kindex W a (Summary)
9846 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9847 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9848 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9851 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9852 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9853 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9854 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9857 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9858 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9859 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9860 lines with a single empty line.
9861 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9864 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9865 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9866 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9867 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9870 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9871 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9872 Do all the three commands above
9873 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9876 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9877 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9878 Remove all blank lines
9879 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9882 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9883 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9884 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9885 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9888 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9889 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9890 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9891 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9895 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9898 @node Article Header
9899 @subsection Article Header
9901 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9906 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9907 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9908 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9911 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9912 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9913 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9914 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9917 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9918 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9919 Fold all the message headers
9920 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9923 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9925 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9926 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9931 @node Article Buttons
9932 @subsection Article Buttons
9935 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9936 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9937 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9938 button on these references.
9940 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9941 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9942 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9943 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9944 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9948 @item gnus-button-alist
9949 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9950 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9953 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9959 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9960 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9961 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9962 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9963 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9966 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9967 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9968 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9971 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9972 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9973 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9974 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9975 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9977 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9980 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9983 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9984 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9988 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9991 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9994 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9995 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9996 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9997 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9998 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
10001 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10004 @var{header} is a regular expression.
10007 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
10010 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
10011 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
10013 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
10015 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
10016 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
10017 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
10018 default values of the variables above.
10020 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
10022 @item gnus-button-man-handler
10023 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10024 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
10025 argument with a string naming the man page.
10027 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
10029 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10030 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10031 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
10033 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10034 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10035 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
10036 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
10037 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
10038 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
10039 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
10040 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
10041 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
10042 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
10043 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
10044 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10046 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10047 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10048 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
10049 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
10050 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
10053 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10054 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10055 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
10056 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10060 @item gnus-article-button-face
10061 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
10062 Face used on buttons.
10064 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
10065 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
10066 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
10070 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
10073 @node Article Button Levels
10074 @subsection Article button levels
10075 @cindex button levels
10076 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
10077 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
10078 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
10079 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
10080 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
10081 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
10082 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
10083 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
10086 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
10087 (setq gnus-parameters
10088 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
10089 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
10090 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
10095 @item gnus-button-browse-level
10096 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
10097 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
10098 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
10099 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
10100 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
10102 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
10103 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
10104 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
10105 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
10106 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
10107 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
10108 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
10109 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
10110 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
10111 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
10112 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
10113 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
10114 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
10116 @item gnus-button-man-level
10117 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
10118 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
10119 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
10121 @item gnus-button-message-level
10122 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
10123 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
10124 Related variables and functions include
10125 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
10126 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
10127 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
10128 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
10134 @subsection Article Date
10136 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
10137 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
10138 when the article was sent.
10143 @kindex W T u (Summary)
10144 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
10145 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
10146 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
10149 @kindex W T i (Summary)
10150 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
10152 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
10153 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
10156 @kindex W T l (Summary)
10157 @findex gnus-article-date-local
10158 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
10161 @kindex W T p (Summary)
10162 @findex gnus-article-date-english
10163 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
10164 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
10167 @kindex W T s (Summary)
10168 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
10169 @findex gnus-article-date-user
10170 @findex format-time-string
10171 Display the date using a user-defined format
10172 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
10173 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
10174 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
10175 for a list of possible format specs.
10178 @kindex W T e (Summary)
10179 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
10180 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
10181 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
10182 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
10183 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
10186 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
10189 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
10190 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
10191 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
10194 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
10195 into wonderful absurdities.
10197 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
10200 (gnus-start-date-timer)
10203 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
10204 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
10208 @kindex W T o (Summary)
10209 @findex gnus-article-date-original
10210 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
10211 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
10212 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
10213 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
10214 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
10218 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
10219 preferred format automatically.
10222 @node Article Display
10223 @subsection Article Display
10229 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
10230 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
10232 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
10233 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
10235 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
10236 headers (@pxref{Face}).
10238 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
10239 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
10241 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
10242 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
10244 Gravatars reside on-line and are fetched from
10245 @uref{http://www.gravatar.com/} (@pxref{Gravatars}).
10247 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
10248 they'll be removed.
10252 @kindex W D x (Summary)
10253 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
10254 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
10255 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
10258 @kindex W D d (Summary)
10259 @findex gnus-article-display-face
10260 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
10261 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
10264 @kindex W D s (Summary)
10265 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
10266 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
10269 @kindex W D f (Summary)
10270 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
10271 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
10274 @kindex W D m (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
10276 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10277 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
10280 @kindex W D n (Summary)
10281 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
10282 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
10283 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
10286 @kindex W D g (Summary)
10287 @findex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
10288 Gravatarify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
10291 @kindex W D h (Summary)
10292 @findex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
10293 Gravatarify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10294 (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
10297 @kindex W D D (Summary)
10298 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
10299 Remove all images from the article buffer
10300 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
10303 @kindex W D W (Summary)
10304 @findex gnus-html-show-images
10305 If you're reading an @acronym{HTML} article rendered with
10306 @code{gnus-article-html}, then you can insert any blocked images in
10307 the buffer with this command.
10308 (@code{gnus-html-show-images}).
10314 @node Article Signature
10315 @subsection Article Signature
10317 @cindex article signature
10319 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
10320 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
10321 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
10322 that says what is to be considered a signature is
10323 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
10324 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
10325 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
10326 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
10327 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
10330 (setq gnus-signature-separator
10331 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
10332 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
10333 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
10334 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
10335 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
10336 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
10337 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
10340 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
10343 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
10344 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
10345 signature when displaying articles.
10349 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
10352 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
10355 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
10356 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
10358 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
10359 in question is not a signature.
10362 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
10363 listed above. Here's an example:
10366 (setq gnus-signature-limit
10367 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
10370 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
10371 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
10372 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
10373 signature after all.
10376 @node Article Miscellanea
10377 @subsection Article Miscellanea
10381 @kindex A t (Summary)
10382 @findex gnus-article-babel
10383 Translate the article from one language to another
10384 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
10389 @node MIME Commands
10390 @section MIME Commands
10391 @cindex MIME decoding
10392 @cindex attachments
10393 @cindex viewing attachments
10395 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
10396 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
10401 @kindex b (Summary)
10402 @kindex K v (Summary)
10403 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
10406 @kindex K o (Summary)
10407 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
10410 @kindex K O (Summary)
10411 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
10412 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
10413 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10416 @kindex K r (Summary)
10417 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
10420 @kindex K d (Summary)
10421 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
10425 @kindex K c (Summary)
10426 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
10429 @kindex K e (Summary)
10430 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
10433 @kindex K i (Summary)
10434 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
10437 @kindex K | (Summary)
10438 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
10441 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
10446 @kindex K H (Summary)
10447 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
10448 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
10449 Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
10450 are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
10451 message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
10452 unless the prefix argument is given.
10454 Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
10455 @acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
10456 this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
10457 eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
10460 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
10461 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
10463 This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
10464 including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
10465 the group (if you want).
10468 @kindex K b (Summary)
10469 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
10470 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
10474 @kindex K m (Summary)
10475 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
10476 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
10477 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
10478 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
10479 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
10482 @kindex X m (Summary)
10483 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
10484 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
10485 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
10486 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10489 @kindex M-t (Summary)
10490 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
10491 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
10492 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
10495 @kindex W M w (Summary)
10496 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
10497 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
10498 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
10501 @kindex W M c (Summary)
10502 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
10503 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
10504 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
10506 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
10507 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
10508 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
10509 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
10510 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
10511 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10514 @kindex W M v (Summary)
10515 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
10516 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
10517 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
10521 Relevant variables:
10524 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
10525 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
10526 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10527 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
10530 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
10533 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
10537 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
10538 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
10539 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
10540 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
10541 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
10542 default is @code{t}.
10544 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
10545 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
10548 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
10549 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
10550 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
10551 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
10552 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
10553 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
10554 for encoding in Gnus.
10556 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10557 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10558 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10559 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10560 displayed or this variable is overridden by
10561 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
10562 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
10563 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
10565 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10566 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10567 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10568 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10569 displayed. This variable overrides
10570 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
10571 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
10574 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
10575 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
10576 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
10578 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
10579 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
10580 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
10581 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
10582 Emacs MIME Manual}).
10584 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10585 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10586 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
10587 default value is @code{nil}.
10589 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
10590 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
10591 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
10592 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
10593 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
10594 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
10595 save all jpegs into some directory).
10597 Here's an example function the does the latter:
10600 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
10601 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
10603 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
10604 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
10605 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
10606 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
10607 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
10610 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10611 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10612 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
10614 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10615 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10616 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10618 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10619 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10620 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10622 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
10623 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
10624 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
10625 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
10626 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
10628 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10629 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10630 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
10631 overrides @code{nil} values of
10632 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
10633 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
10635 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10636 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10637 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
10638 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
10640 Ready-made functions include@*
10641 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
10642 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
10643 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
10644 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
10645 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
10646 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
10647 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
10648 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
10649 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10650 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10651 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10652 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10654 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10655 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10657 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10658 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10659 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10662 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10663 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10664 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10665 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10669 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10678 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10679 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10680 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10681 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10682 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10683 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10684 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10686 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10687 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10688 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10689 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10691 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10692 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10693 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10694 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10695 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10696 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10697 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10698 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10699 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10701 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10702 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10703 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10704 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10705 quoted-printable header encoding.
10707 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10708 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10709 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10713 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10716 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10717 means encode all charsets),
10719 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10720 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10721 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10728 @cindex coding system aliases
10729 @cindex preferred charset
10731 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10732 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10733 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10735 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10737 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10738 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10741 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10742 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10745 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10746 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10748 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10751 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10754 This will almost do the right thing.
10756 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10760 (codepage-setup 1251)
10761 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10765 @node Article Commands
10766 @section Article Commands
10773 @kindex A P (Summary)
10774 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10775 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10776 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10777 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10778 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10779 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10782 @vindex gnus-fetch-partial-articles
10783 @findex gnus-summary-show-complete-article
10784 If @code{<backend>-fetch-partial-articles} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
10785 fetch partial articles, if the backend it fetches them from supports
10786 it. Currently only @code{nnimap} does. If you're looking at a
10787 partial article, and want to see the complete article instead, then
10788 the @kbd{A C} command (@code{gnus-summary-show-complete-article}) will
10794 @node Summary Sorting
10795 @section Summary Sorting
10796 @cindex summary sorting
10798 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10799 can't really see why you'd want that.
10804 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10805 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10806 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10808 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10809 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10810 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10811 Sort by most recent article number
10812 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10815 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10816 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10817 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10820 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10821 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10822 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10825 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10826 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10827 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10830 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10831 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10832 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10834 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10835 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10836 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10837 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10840 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10841 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10842 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10845 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10846 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10847 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10850 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10851 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10852 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10855 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10856 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10857 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10860 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10861 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10862 Sort using the default sorting method
10863 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10866 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10867 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10868 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10869 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10870 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10873 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10876 @node Finding the Parent
10877 @section Finding the Parent
10878 @cindex parent articles
10879 @cindex referring articles
10883 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10884 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10885 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10886 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10887 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10888 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10889 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10890 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10891 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10892 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10894 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10895 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10896 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10897 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10898 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10901 @item A R (Summary)
10902 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10903 @kindex A R (Summary)
10904 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10905 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10907 @item A T (Summary)
10908 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10909 @kindex A T (Summary)
10910 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10911 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10912 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10913 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10914 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10915 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10916 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10918 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10919 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10920 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10921 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10922 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10923 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10925 @item M-^ (Summary)
10926 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10927 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10929 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10930 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10931 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10932 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10933 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10934 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10936 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10937 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10938 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10941 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10942 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10943 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10944 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10945 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10946 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10949 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10950 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10951 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10954 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10955 then ask Google if that fails:
10958 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10960 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10963 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10964 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10965 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10966 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10967 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10968 group. @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
10970 Fortunately, the special @code{nnregistry} back end is able to locate
10971 articles in any groups, regardless of their back end (@pxref{Registry
10972 Article Refer Method, fetching by @code{Message-ID} using the
10975 @node Alternative Approaches
10976 @section Alternative Approaches
10978 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
10979 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
10982 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
10983 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
10987 @node Pick and Read
10988 @subsection Pick and Read
10989 @cindex pick and read
10991 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
10992 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
10993 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10994 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10996 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10997 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10998 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10999 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
11000 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
11001 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
11003 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
11008 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
11009 Pick the article or thread on the current line
11010 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11011 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
11012 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
11013 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
11014 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
11015 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
11018 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
11019 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
11020 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
11021 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
11025 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
11026 Unpick the thread or article
11027 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11028 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
11029 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
11030 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
11031 the thread or article at that line.
11035 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
11036 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
11037 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
11038 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
11039 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
11040 will still be visible when you are reading.
11044 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
11045 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
11046 which is mapped to the same function
11047 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
11049 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
11052 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
11055 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
11056 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
11058 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
11059 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
11060 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
11062 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
11063 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
11064 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
11065 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
11066 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
11067 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
11068 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
11071 @node Binary Groups
11072 @subsection Binary Groups
11073 @cindex binary groups
11075 @findex gnus-binary-mode
11076 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
11077 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
11078 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
11079 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
11080 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
11081 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
11084 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
11085 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
11086 command, when you have turned on this mode
11087 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
11089 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
11090 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
11094 @section Tree Display
11097 @vindex gnus-use-trees
11098 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
11099 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
11100 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
11101 in the tree buffer.
11103 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
11106 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
11107 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
11108 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
11110 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11111 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11112 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
11113 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
11114 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
11116 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
11117 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
11118 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
11119 default is @code{modeline}.
11121 @item gnus-tree-line-format
11122 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
11123 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
11124 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
11125 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
11126 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
11127 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
11133 The name of the poster.
11135 The @code{From} header.
11137 The number of the article.
11139 The opening bracket.
11141 The closing bracket.
11146 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
11148 Variables related to the display are:
11151 @item gnus-tree-brackets
11152 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
11153 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
11154 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
11156 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
11157 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
11158 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
11160 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
11162 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11163 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11164 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
11165 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
11169 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
11170 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
11171 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
11172 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
11173 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
11174 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
11175 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
11176 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
11177 other windows displayed next to it.
11179 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
11183 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
11184 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
11187 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
11188 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
11189 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11190 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
11191 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
11192 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
11193 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
11197 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
11200 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
11210 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
11215 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
11216 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
11218 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
11220 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
11226 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
11227 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
11228 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11231 (setq gnus-use-trees t
11232 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11233 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
11234 (gnus-add-configuration
11238 (summary 0.75 point)
11243 @xref{Window Layout}.
11246 @node Mail Group Commands
11247 @section Mail Group Commands
11248 @cindex mail group commands
11250 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
11251 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
11253 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
11254 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11259 @kindex B e (Summary)
11260 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
11261 @cindex expiring mail
11262 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
11263 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
11264 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
11265 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
11268 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
11269 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
11270 @cindex expiring mail
11271 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
11272 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
11273 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
11274 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
11277 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
11278 @cindex deleting mail
11279 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
11280 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
11281 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
11282 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
11283 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
11286 @kindex B m (Summary)
11288 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
11289 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
11290 Move the article from one mail group to another
11291 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11292 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11295 @kindex B c (Summary)
11297 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
11298 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
11299 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
11300 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11301 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11304 @kindex B B (Summary)
11305 @cindex crosspost mail
11306 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
11307 Crosspost the current article to some other group
11308 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
11309 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
11310 be properly updated.
11313 @kindex B i (Summary)
11314 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
11315 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
11316 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
11317 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11320 @kindex B I (Summary)
11321 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
11322 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
11323 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
11324 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11327 @kindex B r (Summary)
11328 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
11329 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
11330 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
11331 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
11332 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
11333 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
11334 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
11335 (which is the default).
11339 @kindex B w (Summary)
11340 @kindex e (Summary)
11341 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
11342 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
11343 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
11344 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
11345 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
11346 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
11347 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
11350 @kindex B q (Summary)
11351 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
11352 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
11353 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
11354 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
11357 @kindex B t (Summary)
11358 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
11359 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
11360 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
11363 @kindex B p (Summary)
11364 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
11365 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
11366 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
11367 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
11368 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
11369 article from your news server (or rather, from
11370 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
11371 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
11372 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
11373 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
11374 just not have arrived yet.
11377 @kindex K E (Summary)
11378 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
11379 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
11380 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
11381 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
11382 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
11386 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
11387 @cindex moving articles
11388 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
11389 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
11390 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
11391 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
11392 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
11393 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
11394 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
11397 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
11398 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
11399 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
11400 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
11404 @node Various Summary Stuff
11405 @section Various Summary Stuff
11408 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
11409 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
11410 * Summary Generation Commands::
11411 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
11415 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
11416 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
11417 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
11418 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
11419 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
11420 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
11422 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
11423 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
11424 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
11427 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
11428 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
11429 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
11431 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
11432 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
11433 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
11434 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
11435 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
11436 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
11439 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11440 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11441 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
11442 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
11443 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
11445 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11446 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11447 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
11450 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11451 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11452 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
11453 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
11454 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
11455 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
11456 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
11457 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
11458 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
11459 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
11461 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11462 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11463 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
11464 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
11465 list of articles to be selected.
11467 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
11468 the list in one particular group:
11471 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
11472 (if (string= group "some.group")
11473 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
11477 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
11478 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
11479 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
11480 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
11481 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
11484 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
11485 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
11486 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
11487 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
11488 variable will be used instead.
11490 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
11491 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
11492 buffers. For example:
11495 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
11496 '(message-use-followup-to
11497 (gnus-visible-headers .
11498 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
11501 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
11503 @vindex gnus-propagate-marks
11504 @item gnus-propagate-marks
11505 If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
11506 storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
11512 @node Summary Group Information
11513 @subsection Summary Group Information
11518 @kindex H d (Summary)
11519 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
11520 Give a brief description of the current group
11521 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
11522 rereading the description from the server.
11525 @kindex H h (Summary)
11526 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
11527 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
11528 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
11531 @kindex H i (Summary)
11532 @findex gnus-info-find-node
11533 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
11537 @node Searching for Articles
11538 @subsection Searching for Articles
11543 @kindex M-s (Summary)
11544 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
11545 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
11546 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
11549 @kindex M-r (Summary)
11550 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
11551 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
11552 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
11555 @kindex M-S (Summary)
11556 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
11557 Repeat the previous search forwards
11558 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
11561 @kindex M-R (Summary)
11562 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
11563 Repeat the previous search backwards
11564 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
11567 @kindex & (Summary)
11568 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
11569 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
11570 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
11571 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
11572 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
11573 search backward instead.
11575 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
11576 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
11579 @kindex M-& (Summary)
11580 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
11581 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
11582 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
11585 @node Summary Generation Commands
11586 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
11591 @kindex Y g (Summary)
11592 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
11593 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
11596 @kindex Y c (Summary)
11597 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
11598 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11599 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
11602 @kindex Y d (Summary)
11603 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
11604 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11605 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
11608 @kindex Y t (Summary)
11609 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
11610 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11611 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
11616 @node Really Various Summary Commands
11617 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
11623 @kindex C-d (Summary)
11624 @kindex A D (Summary)
11625 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
11626 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
11627 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
11628 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
11629 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
11630 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
11631 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
11632 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
11635 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
11636 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
11637 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
11642 Select the next article.
11645 Select the next unread article.
11647 @item next-noselect
11648 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
11650 @item next-unread-noselect
11651 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
11654 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
11655 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11658 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11659 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11660 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11661 several documents into one biiig group
11662 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11663 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11664 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11665 command understands the process/prefix convention
11666 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11669 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11670 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11671 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11672 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11673 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11674 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11677 @kindex = (Summary)
11678 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11679 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11680 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11683 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11684 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11685 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11686 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11689 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11690 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11691 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11692 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11697 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11698 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11699 @cindex summary exit
11700 @cindex exiting groups
11702 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11703 group and return you to the group buffer.
11710 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11711 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11712 @kindex q (Summary)
11713 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11714 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11715 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11716 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11717 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11718 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11719 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11720 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11721 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11722 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11723 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11724 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11728 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11729 @kindex Q (Summary)
11730 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11731 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11732 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11736 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11737 @kindex c (Summary)
11738 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11739 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11740 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11741 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11744 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11745 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11746 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11747 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11750 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11751 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11752 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11753 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11756 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11757 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11758 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11759 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11763 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11764 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11765 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11766 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11767 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11768 all articles, both read and unread.
11772 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11773 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11774 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11775 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11776 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11777 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11778 articles, both read and unread.
11781 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11782 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11783 Exit the group and go to the next group
11784 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11787 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11788 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11789 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11790 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11793 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11794 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11795 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11796 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11797 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11798 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11801 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11802 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11803 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11804 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11806 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11807 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11808 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11809 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11810 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11811 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11812 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11813 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11814 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11815 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11816 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11817 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11819 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11821 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11822 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11823 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11824 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11825 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11826 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11827 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11828 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11829 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11832 @node Crosspost Handling
11833 @section Crosspost Handling
11837 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11838 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11839 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11840 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11841 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11844 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11845 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11846 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11847 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11848 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11850 @cindex cross-posting
11852 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11853 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11854 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11855 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11856 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11857 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11858 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11859 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11860 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11861 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11862 the cross reference mechanism.
11864 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11865 @cindex overview.fmt
11866 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11867 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11868 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11869 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11870 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11871 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11874 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11875 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11876 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11880 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11883 @node Duplicate Suppression
11884 @section Duplicate Suppression
11886 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11887 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11888 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11889 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11894 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11895 is evil and not very common.
11898 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11899 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11902 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11903 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11906 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11909 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11910 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11912 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11913 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11914 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11915 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11916 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11917 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11918 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11921 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11922 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11923 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11924 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11925 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11926 saw the article in.
11929 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11930 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11931 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11933 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11934 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11935 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11936 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11937 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11938 session are suppressed.
11940 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11941 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11942 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11943 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11945 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11946 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11947 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11948 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11951 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11952 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11953 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11954 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11955 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11956 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11957 to you to figure out, I think.
11962 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11963 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11964 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
11969 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
11970 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
11971 to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
11972 epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
11973 PGG Manual}), and Mailcrypt are also supported.
11976 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
11977 or newer is recommended.
11981 The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
11985 @item mm-verify-option
11986 @vindex mm-verify-option
11987 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
11988 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11989 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11991 @item mm-decrypt-option
11992 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11993 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11994 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11995 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11997 @item mm-sign-option
11998 @vindex mm-sign-option
11999 Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
12000 keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
12002 @item mm-encrypt-option
12003 @vindex mm-encrypt-option
12004 Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
12005 public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
12006 @code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
12009 @vindex mml1991-use
12010 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12011 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
12012 and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported although
12013 deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
12017 @vindex mml2015-use
12018 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12019 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
12020 @code{pgg}, and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported
12021 although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
12022 interface in this order.
12026 By default the buttons that display security information are not
12027 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
12028 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
12029 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
12030 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
12031 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
12032 how to customize these variables to always display security
12035 @cindex snarfing keys
12036 @cindex importing PGP keys
12037 @cindex PGP key ring import
12038 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
12039 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
12040 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
12041 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
12042 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
12043 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
12044 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
12045 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
12046 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
12049 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
12052 This happens to also be the default action defined in
12053 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
12055 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
12056 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
12057 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
12060 @section Mailing List
12061 @cindex mailing list
12064 @kindex A M (summary)
12065 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
12066 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
12067 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
12068 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
12071 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
12076 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
12077 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
12078 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
12081 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
12082 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
12083 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
12086 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
12087 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
12088 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
12092 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
12093 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
12094 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
12097 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
12098 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
12099 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
12102 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
12103 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
12104 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
12109 @node Article Buffer
12110 @chapter Article Buffer
12111 @cindex article buffer
12113 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
12114 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
12115 tell Gnus otherwise.
12118 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
12119 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
12120 * HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
12121 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
12122 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
12123 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
12127 @node Hiding Headers
12128 @section Hiding Headers
12129 @cindex hiding headers
12130 @cindex deleting headers
12132 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
12133 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
12135 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
12136 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
12137 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
12138 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
12139 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
12140 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
12141 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
12142 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
12143 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
12145 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
12149 @item gnus-visible-headers
12150 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
12151 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
12152 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
12153 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
12155 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
12156 the article and the subject, you'd say:
12159 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
12162 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12165 @item gnus-ignored-headers
12166 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
12167 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
12168 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
12169 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
12170 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
12172 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
12173 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
12176 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
12179 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12182 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
12183 variable will have no effect.
12187 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
12188 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
12189 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
12190 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
12191 the headers are to be displayed.
12193 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
12194 and then the subject, you might say something like:
12197 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
12200 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
12201 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
12203 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
12204 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
12205 You can hide further boring headers by setting
12206 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
12207 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
12208 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
12209 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
12212 These conditions are:
12215 Remove all empty headers.
12217 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
12218 @code{Newsgroups} header.
12220 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
12221 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
12224 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
12227 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12228 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
12230 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12231 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12233 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
12234 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12236 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
12239 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
12241 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
12244 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
12247 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
12248 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
12251 This is also the default value for this variable.
12255 @section Using MIME
12256 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12258 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
12259 while people stand around yawning.
12261 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
12262 while all newsreaders die of fear.
12264 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
12265 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
12266 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
12268 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
12269 @findex gnus-display-mime
12270 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
12271 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
12272 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
12273 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
12275 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
12276 @acronym{MIME} button:
12279 @findex gnus-article-press-button
12280 @item RET (Article)
12281 @kindex RET (Article)
12282 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
12283 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
12284 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
12285 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
12286 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
12287 object is displayed inline.
12289 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
12290 @item M-RET (Article)
12291 @kindex M-RET (Article)
12293 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12294 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
12296 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
12298 @kindex t (Article)
12299 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
12300 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
12302 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
12304 @kindex C (Article)
12305 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12306 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
12308 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
12310 @kindex o (Article)
12311 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
12312 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
12314 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
12315 @item C-o (Article)
12316 @kindex C-o (Article)
12317 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
12318 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
12319 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
12320 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
12321 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
12322 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
12324 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
12326 @kindex r (Article)
12327 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
12328 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
12329 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
12331 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
12333 @kindex d (Article)
12334 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
12335 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
12336 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
12338 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
12340 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
12342 @kindex c (Article)
12343 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
12344 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
12345 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
12346 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
12347 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
12348 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
12349 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
12350 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12352 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
12354 @kindex p (Article)
12355 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
12356 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
12357 @file{.mailcap} file.
12359 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
12361 @kindex i (Article)
12362 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
12363 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
12364 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
12365 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
12366 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
12367 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
12368 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
12369 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
12370 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12372 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
12374 @kindex E (Article)
12375 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
12376 viewer is available, use an external viewer
12377 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
12379 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
12381 @kindex e (Article)
12382 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
12383 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
12385 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
12387 @kindex | (Article)
12388 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
12390 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
12392 @kindex . (Article)
12393 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
12394 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
12398 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
12399 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
12400 @acronym{MIME} manual.
12402 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
12403 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
12404 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
12405 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
12406 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
12407 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
12408 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
12409 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
12410 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
12412 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
12414 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
12418 @section @acronym{HTML}
12419 @cindex @acronym{HTML}
12421 If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
12422 @acronym{HTML} articles in the article buffer. There are many Gnus
12423 add-ons for doing this, using various approaches, but there's one
12424 (sort of) built-in method that's used by default.
12426 For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization,
12427 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This
12428 section only describes the default method.
12431 @item mm-text-html-renderer
12432 @vindex mm-text-html-renderer
12433 If set to @code{gnus-article-html}, Gnus will use the built-in method,
12434 that's based on @code{w3m}.
12436 @item gnus-blocked-images
12437 @vindex gnus-blocked-images
12438 External images that have @acronym{URL}s that match this regexp won't
12439 be fetched and displayed. For instance, do block all @acronym{URL}s
12440 that have the string ``ads'' in them, do the following:
12443 (setq gnus-blocked-images "ads")
12446 This can also be a function to be evaluated. If so, it will be
12447 called with the group name as the parameter. The default value is
12448 @code{gnus-block-private-groups}, which will return @samp{"."} for
12449 anything that isn't a newsgroup. This means that no external images
12450 will be fetched as a result of reading mail, so that nobody can use
12451 web bugs (and the like) to track whether you've read email.
12453 @item gnus-html-cache-directory
12454 @vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
12455 Gnus will download and cache images according to how
12456 @code{gnus-blocked-images} is set. These images will be stored in
12459 @item gnus-html-cache-size
12460 @vindex gnus-html-cache-size
12461 When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
12462 directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
12464 @item gnus-html-frame-width
12465 @vindex gnus-html-frame-width
12466 The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
12468 @item gnus-max-image-proportion
12469 @vindex gnus-max-image-proportion
12470 How big pictures displayed are in relation to the window they're in.
12471 A value of 0.7 (the default) means that they are allowed to take up
12472 70% of the width and height of the window. If they are larger than
12473 this, and Emacs supports it, then the images will be rescaled down to
12474 fit these criteria.
12478 To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
12479 installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
12484 @node Customizing Articles
12485 @section Customizing Articles
12486 @cindex article customization
12488 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
12489 exist. You can call these functions interactively
12490 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
12491 called automatically when you select the articles.
12493 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
12494 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
12495 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
12496 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
12498 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
12499 for sensible values.
12503 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
12506 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
12509 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
12512 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
12515 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
12518 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
12522 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
12523 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
12524 regexps in the list.
12527 A list where the first element is not a string:
12529 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
12530 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
12531 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
12535 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
12540 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
12541 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
12542 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
12543 considered to contain just a single part.
12545 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
12546 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
12547 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
12548 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
12549 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
12550 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
12551 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
12554 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
12555 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
12557 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
12558 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
12559 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
12560 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
12561 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
12562 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
12563 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
12564 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
12565 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
12566 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
12567 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
12568 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
12569 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
12570 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
12571 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
12572 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
12573 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
12574 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
12575 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
12576 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
12577 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
12578 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
12579 @vindex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
12580 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
12581 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
12582 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
12583 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12584 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12585 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12586 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12587 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12588 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12589 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12590 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12591 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12592 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12593 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12594 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12595 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12596 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12597 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12598 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12599 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12600 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12601 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12602 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12603 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12606 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
12607 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
12608 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
12609 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
12612 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
12613 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
12615 @xref{Article Buttons}.
12617 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
12618 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
12619 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
12620 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
12621 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
12622 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
12623 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
12624 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
12625 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
12626 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
12628 @xref{Article Washing}.
12630 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
12631 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
12632 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
12633 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
12634 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
12635 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
12636 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
12638 @xref{Article Date}.
12640 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12641 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12642 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12646 @item gnus-treat-from-gravatar (head)
12647 @item gnus-treat-mail-gravatar (head)
12651 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12653 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12655 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12656 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12657 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12661 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12662 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12666 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12667 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12671 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12672 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12673 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12674 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12675 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12676 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12677 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12678 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12679 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12680 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12681 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12682 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12683 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12684 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12685 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12686 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12687 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12688 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12689 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12690 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12692 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12694 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12695 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12696 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12697 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12698 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12699 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12701 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12703 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12704 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12705 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12706 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12707 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12709 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12710 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12711 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12712 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12713 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12714 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12715 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12716 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12718 @xref{Article Header}.
12723 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12724 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12725 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12726 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12727 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12731 @node Article Keymap
12732 @section Article Keymap
12734 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12735 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12736 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12737 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12740 @kindex v (Article)
12741 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12742 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12743 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12745 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12750 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12751 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12752 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12753 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12756 @kindex DEL (Article)
12757 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12758 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12759 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12762 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12763 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12764 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12765 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12766 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12769 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12770 @findex gnus-article-mail
12771 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12772 given a prefix, include the mail.
12775 @kindex s (Article)
12776 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12777 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12778 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12781 @kindex ? (Article)
12782 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12783 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12784 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12787 @kindex TAB (Article)
12788 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12789 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12790 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12793 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12794 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12795 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12798 @kindex R (Article)
12799 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12800 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12801 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12802 only yank the text in the region.
12805 @kindex S W (Article)
12806 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12807 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12808 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12809 active, only yank the text in the region.
12812 @kindex F (Article)
12813 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12814 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12815 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12816 only yank the text in the region.
12823 @section Misc Article
12827 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12828 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12829 @cindex article buffers, several
12830 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12831 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12834 @item gnus-widen-article-window
12835 @cindex gnus-widen-article-window
12836 If non-@code{nil}, selecting the article buffer with the @kbd{h}
12837 command will ``widen'' the article window to take the entire frame.
12839 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12840 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12841 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12842 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12843 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12845 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12846 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12847 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12848 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12849 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12850 the contents of the article buffer.
12852 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12853 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12854 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12856 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12857 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12858 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12859 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12861 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12862 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12863 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12864 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12866 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12867 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12868 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12869 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12870 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12871 with two extensions:
12876 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12877 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12878 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12883 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12886 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12889 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12890 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12891 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12894 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12897 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12900 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12905 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12909 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12911 @item gnus-break-pages
12912 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12913 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12914 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12915 paging will not be done.
12917 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12918 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12919 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12923 @cindex internationalized domain names
12924 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12925 @item gnus-use-idna
12926 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12927 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12928 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12929 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12930 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12931 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12936 @node Composing Messages
12937 @chapter Composing Messages
12938 @cindex composing messages
12941 @cindex sending mail
12946 @cindex using s/mime
12947 @cindex using smime
12949 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12950 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12951 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12952 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12953 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12954 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12957 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12958 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12959 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12960 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12961 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12962 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12963 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12964 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12965 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12968 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12969 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12975 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12978 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12979 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12980 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12981 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12982 @code{nil} include all headers.
12984 @item gnus-add-to-list
12985 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12986 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12987 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12989 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12990 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12991 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12992 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12993 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12994 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12995 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12996 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12998 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12999 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
13001 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13002 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13003 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
13004 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
13005 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
13010 @node Posting Server
13011 @section Posting Server
13013 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
13014 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
13016 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
13018 It can be quite complicated.
13020 @vindex gnus-post-method
13021 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
13022 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
13023 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
13024 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
13025 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
13026 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
13027 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
13028 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
13029 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
13032 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
13035 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
13036 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
13037 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
13038 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
13040 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
13041 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
13043 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
13044 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
13047 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
13048 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
13050 @vindex message-send-mail-function
13051 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
13052 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
13053 value suitable for your system.
13054 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
13057 @node POP before SMTP
13058 @section POP before SMTP
13059 @cindex pop before smtp
13060 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
13061 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
13063 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
13064 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
13065 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
13066 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
13067 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13070 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
13071 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
13075 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
13076 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
13077 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
13078 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
13079 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
13080 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
13081 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
13082 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13084 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
13085 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
13086 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
13087 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
13088 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
13089 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
13092 (setq mail-source-primary-source
13093 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13094 :password "secret"))
13098 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
13099 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
13102 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
13104 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
13105 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13106 :password "secret")))
13107 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
13110 @node Mail and Post
13111 @section Mail and Post
13113 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
13117 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
13118 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
13119 @cindex mailing lists
13121 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
13122 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
13123 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
13124 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
13125 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
13126 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
13127 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
13128 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
13129 still a pain, though.
13131 @item gnus-user-agent
13132 @vindex gnus-user-agent
13135 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
13136 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
13137 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
13138 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
13139 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
13140 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
13141 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
13145 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
13146 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
13147 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
13150 @findex ispell-message
13152 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
13155 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
13156 you're in, you could say something like the following:
13159 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
13163 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
13164 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
13166 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
13169 Modify to suit your needs.
13171 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
13172 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
13173 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
13176 @node Archived Messages
13177 @section Archived Messages
13178 @cindex archived messages
13179 @cindex sent messages
13181 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
13182 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
13183 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
13184 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
13187 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
13188 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
13191 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
13192 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
13193 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
13194 actually being used it is expanded into:
13197 (nnfolder "archive"
13198 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
13199 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
13200 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
13201 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
13205 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
13206 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
13207 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
13208 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
13209 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
13210 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
13211 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13212 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
13213 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
13214 saved method to reflect always the value of
13215 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
13216 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
13217 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
13220 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
13221 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
13222 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
13223 directory chosen, you could say something like:
13226 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
13227 '(nnfolder "archive"
13228 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
13229 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
13230 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
13233 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
13235 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
13236 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
13237 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
13239 This variable can be used to do the following:
13243 Messages will be saved in that group.
13245 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
13246 message will not be stored in the select method given by
13247 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
13248 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13249 has the default value shown above. Then setting
13250 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
13251 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
13252 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
13255 @item a list of strings
13256 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
13258 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
13259 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
13262 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
13267 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
13269 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
13272 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
13274 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
13277 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
13279 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13280 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
13281 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
13282 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
13285 More complex stuff:
13287 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13288 '((if (message-news-p)
13293 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
13294 messages in one file per month:
13297 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13298 '((if (message-news-p)
13300 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
13303 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
13304 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
13306 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
13307 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
13308 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
13309 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
13310 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
13311 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
13312 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
13313 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
13314 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
13315 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
13317 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
13318 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
13319 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
13320 this will disable archiving.
13323 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
13324 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
13325 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
13326 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
13327 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
13330 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
13331 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
13332 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
13335 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
13336 but the latter is the preferred method.
13338 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13339 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13340 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
13342 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13343 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13344 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
13345 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
13346 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
13347 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
13348 changed in the future.
13353 @node Posting Styles
13354 @section Posting Styles
13355 @cindex posting styles
13358 All them variables, they make my head swim.
13360 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
13361 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
13362 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
13365 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
13366 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
13367 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
13368 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
13369 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
13374 (signature "Peace and happiness")
13375 (organization "What me?"))
13377 (signature "Death to everybody"))
13378 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
13379 (organization "Emacs is it")))
13382 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
13383 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
13384 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
13385 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
13386 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
13387 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
13388 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
13389 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
13391 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
13392 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
13393 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
13394 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
13395 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
13396 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
13397 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
13398 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
13399 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
13400 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
13401 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
13402 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
13403 said to @dfn{match}.
13405 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
13406 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
13407 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
13408 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
13409 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
13410 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
13411 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
13412 name can be one of:
13415 @item @code{signature}
13416 @item @code{signature-file}
13417 @item @code{x-face-file}
13418 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
13419 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
13423 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
13424 @code{message-signature-directory}.
13426 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
13427 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
13428 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
13429 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
13430 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
13432 The attribute value can be a string, a function with zero arguments
13433 (the return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used)
13434 or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be
13435 used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
13436 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current
13437 article are available through the @code{message-reply-headers}
13438 variable, which is a vector of the following headers: number subject
13439 from date id references chars lines xref extra.
13441 In the case of a string value, if the @code{match} is a regular
13442 expression, a @samp{gnus-match-substitute-replacement} is proceed on
13443 the value to replace the positional parameters @samp{\@var{n}} by the
13444 corresponding parenthetical matches (see @xref{Replacing the Text that
13445 Matched, , Text Replacement, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.)
13447 @vindex message-reply-headers
13449 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
13450 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
13451 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
13453 @findex message-mail-p
13454 @findex message-news-p
13456 So here's a new example:
13459 (setq gnus-posting-styles
13461 (signature-file "~/.signature")
13463 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
13464 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
13465 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
13467 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
13468 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
13469 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
13470 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
13471 (signature my-news-signature))
13472 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
13473 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
13474 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
13475 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
13476 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
13477 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
13478 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
13479 (address "user@@bar.foo")
13480 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
13481 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
13483 (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
13484 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
13486 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
13489 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
13490 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
13491 if you fill many roles.
13492 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
13493 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
13499 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
13500 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
13501 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
13502 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
13503 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
13505 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
13506 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
13507 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
13508 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
13509 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
13513 @vindex nndraft-directory
13514 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
13515 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
13516 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
13517 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
13518 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
13519 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
13521 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
13522 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
13523 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
13524 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
13525 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
13526 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
13527 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
13528 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
13529 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
13531 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
13532 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
13533 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
13534 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
13535 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
13536 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
13537 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
13538 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
13539 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
13540 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
13541 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
13542 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
13543 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
13544 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
13546 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
13547 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
13548 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
13550 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
13551 @kindex D e (Draft)
13552 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
13553 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
13554 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
13556 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
13559 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
13560 @kindex D s (Draft)
13561 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
13562 @kindex D S (Draft)
13563 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
13564 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
13565 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
13566 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
13567 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
13570 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
13571 @kindex D t (Draft)
13572 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
13573 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
13574 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
13576 Finally, if you want to delete a draft, use the normal @kbd{B DEL}
13577 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13580 @node Rejected Articles
13581 @section Rejected Articles
13582 @cindex rejected articles
13584 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
13585 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
13586 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
13587 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
13589 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
13590 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
13591 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
13592 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
13593 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
13595 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
13596 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13597 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13599 @node Signing and encrypting
13600 @section Signing and encrypting
13602 @cindex using s/mime
13603 @cindex using smime
13605 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13606 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13607 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13608 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13610 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13611 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13612 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13613 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13614 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13615 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13616 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13617 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13618 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13619 automatically encrypted messages.
13621 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13622 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13623 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13628 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13629 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13631 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13634 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13635 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13637 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13640 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13641 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13643 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13646 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13647 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13649 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13652 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13653 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13655 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13658 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13659 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13661 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13664 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13665 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13666 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13670 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13672 @node Select Methods
13673 @chapter Select Methods
13674 @cindex foreign groups
13675 @cindex select methods
13677 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13678 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13679 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13680 personal mail group.
13682 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13683 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13684 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13685 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13686 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13687 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13689 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13690 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13692 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13695 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13696 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13697 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13698 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13699 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13701 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13704 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13705 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13706 * Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
13707 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13708 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13709 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
13710 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13711 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13712 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13716 @node Server Buffer
13717 @section Server Buffer
13719 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13720 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13721 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13722 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13723 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13724 back end represents a virtual server.
13726 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13727 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13728 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13729 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13731 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13732 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13733 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13734 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13735 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13736 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13737 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13739 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13740 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13743 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13744 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13745 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13746 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13747 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13748 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13749 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13752 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13753 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13756 @node Server Buffer Format
13757 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13758 @cindex server buffer format
13760 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13761 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13762 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13763 variable, with some simple extensions:
13768 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13771 The name of this server.
13774 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13777 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13780 Whether this server is agentized.
13783 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13784 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13785 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13786 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13796 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13799 @node Server Commands
13800 @subsection Server Commands
13801 @cindex server commands
13807 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13808 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13809 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13813 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13814 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13818 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13819 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13822 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13823 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13824 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13828 @findex gnus-server-exit
13829 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13833 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13834 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13838 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13839 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13843 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13844 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13848 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13849 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13853 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13854 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13855 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13860 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13861 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13862 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13863 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13867 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13869 Compact all groups in the server under point
13870 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13871 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13872 hence getting a correct total article count.
13877 @node Example Methods
13878 @subsection Example Methods
13880 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13883 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13886 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13892 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13893 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13896 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13897 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13899 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13900 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13904 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13907 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13908 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13910 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13911 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13912 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13916 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13919 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13922 Here's the method for a public spool:
13926 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13927 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13933 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13934 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13935 on the firewall machine and connect with
13936 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13937 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13938 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13939 should probably look something like this:
13943 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13944 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13945 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13948 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13949 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13950 configuration to the example above:
13953 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13956 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13957 an indirect connection:
13960 (setq gnus-select-method
13962 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13963 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13964 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13965 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13966 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13967 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13970 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13971 provide automatic authorization, of course.
13973 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13974 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13975 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
13979 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13980 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13981 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13985 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13986 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13988 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13989 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13991 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13992 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13993 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13995 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13997 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13998 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13999 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
14000 will contain the following:
14010 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
14011 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
14014 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
14015 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
14016 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
14019 @node Server Variables
14020 @subsection Server Variables
14021 @cindex server variables
14022 @cindex server parameters
14024 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
14025 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
14026 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
14027 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
14028 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
14030 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
14031 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
14032 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
14033 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
14034 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
14035 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
14036 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
14037 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
14038 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
14042 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
14043 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
14044 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
14047 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
14049 @node Servers and Methods
14050 @subsection Servers and Methods
14052 Wherever you would normally use a select method
14053 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
14054 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
14055 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
14059 @node Unavailable Servers
14060 @subsection Unavailable Servers
14062 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
14063 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
14064 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
14065 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
14066 actually the case or not.
14068 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
14069 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
14070 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
14071 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
14072 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
14073 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
14074 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
14075 it will regard that server as ``down''.
14077 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
14078 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
14080 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
14081 with the following commands:
14087 @findex gnus-server-open-server
14088 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
14089 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
14093 @findex gnus-server-close-server
14094 Close the connection (if any) to the server
14095 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
14099 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
14100 Mark the current server as unreachable
14101 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
14104 @kindex M-o (Server)
14105 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
14106 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
14107 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
14110 @kindex M-c (Server)
14111 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
14112 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
14113 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
14117 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
14118 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
14119 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
14123 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
14124 Copy a server and give it a new name
14125 (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}). This can be useful if you have a
14126 complex method definition, and want to use the same definition towards
14127 a different (physical) server.
14131 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
14132 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
14138 @section Getting News
14139 @cindex reading news
14140 @cindex news back ends
14142 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
14143 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
14144 or it can read from a local spool.
14147 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14148 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
14156 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
14157 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
14158 server as the, uhm, address.
14160 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
14161 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
14162 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
14163 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14165 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
14166 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
14167 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
14169 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
14174 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
14175 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
14176 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
14178 @cindex authentication
14179 @cindex nntp authentication
14180 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14181 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
14182 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
14183 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
14184 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
14185 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
14186 present in this hook.
14188 @item nntp-authinfo-function
14189 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
14190 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14191 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
14192 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
14193 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
14194 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
14195 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
14196 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
14197 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
14198 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
14199 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
14203 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
14206 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
14208 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
14209 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
14210 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
14211 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
14212 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
14213 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
14214 @samp{force} is explained below.
14218 Here's an example file:
14221 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
14222 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
14225 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
14226 have to be first, for instance.
14228 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
14229 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
14230 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
14231 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
14232 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
14233 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
14234 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
14236 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
14237 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
14243 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
14244 previously mentioned.
14246 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
14248 @item nntp-server-action-alist
14249 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
14250 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
14251 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
14252 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
14255 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
14256 '(("innd" (ding))))
14259 You probably don't want to do that, though.
14261 The default value is
14264 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
14265 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
14266 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
14269 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
14270 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
14272 @item nntp-maximum-request
14273 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
14274 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
14275 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
14276 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
14277 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
14278 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
14279 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
14281 @item nntp-connection-timeout
14282 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
14283 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
14284 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
14285 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
14286 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
14287 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
14288 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
14289 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
14290 no timeouts are done.
14292 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
14293 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
14294 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
14295 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
14298 @item nntp-xover-commands
14299 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
14300 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
14302 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
14303 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
14307 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
14308 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
14309 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
14310 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
14311 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
14312 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
14313 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
14314 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
14315 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
14316 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
14317 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
14319 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14320 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14321 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
14322 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
14323 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
14324 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
14325 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
14326 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
14327 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
14328 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
14329 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
14330 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
14331 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
14332 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
14333 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
14334 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
14335 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
14338 (setq gnus-select-method
14340 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
14341 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
14345 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
14347 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
14348 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
14349 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14351 @item nntp-record-commands
14352 @vindex nntp-record-commands
14353 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
14354 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
14355 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
14356 that doesn't seem to work.
14358 @item nntp-open-connection-function
14359 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
14360 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
14361 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
14362 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
14363 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
14364 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
14365 indirect ones (three pre-made).
14367 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
14368 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
14369 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
14370 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
14371 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
14372 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
14373 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
14374 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
14375 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
14377 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14378 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14379 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
14380 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
14381 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
14382 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
14383 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
14385 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
14386 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
14387 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
14388 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
14389 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
14390 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
14391 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
14394 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
14397 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
14398 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
14400 @item nntp-server-list-active-group
14401 If @code{nil}, then always use @samp{GROUP} instead of @samp{LIST
14402 ACTIVE}. This is usually slower, but on misconfigured servers that
14403 don't update their active files often, this can help.
14409 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
14410 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
14411 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
14412 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
14416 @node Direct Functions
14417 @subsubsection Direct Functions
14418 @cindex direct connection functions
14420 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
14421 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
14422 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
14423 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14426 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
14427 @item nntp-open-network-stream
14428 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
14431 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
14432 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
14433 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14434 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
14435 installed. You then define a server as follows:
14438 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14439 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
14441 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14442 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
14443 (nntp-port-number 563)
14444 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14447 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
14448 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
14449 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14450 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
14451 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
14452 then define a server as follows:
14455 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14456 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
14458 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14459 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
14460 (nntp-port-number 563)
14461 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14464 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
14465 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
14466 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
14467 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
14468 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
14469 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
14470 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
14471 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
14475 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14476 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14477 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14480 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
14481 session, which is not a good idea.
14483 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
14484 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
14485 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
14486 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
14487 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
14488 not available. The previous example would turn into:
14492 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14493 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
14494 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
14495 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
14500 @node Indirect Functions
14501 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
14502 @cindex indirect connection functions
14504 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
14505 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14506 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
14507 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
14508 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
14509 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14512 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14513 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14514 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
14515 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
14516 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
14518 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
14521 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14522 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14523 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14524 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14526 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14527 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14528 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14529 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
14530 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
14531 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
14534 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14535 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14536 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
14537 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
14538 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
14539 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
14541 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14544 @item nntp-telnet-command
14545 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
14546 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
14547 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
14549 @item nntp-telnet-switches
14550 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
14551 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14552 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
14554 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14555 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14556 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14557 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14559 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14560 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14561 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14562 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
14563 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
14564 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
14565 host. The default is @code{nil}.
14568 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14569 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14571 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14572 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14573 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
14574 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
14576 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14579 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
14580 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
14581 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14584 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14585 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14586 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14587 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14589 @item nntp-via-user-password
14590 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14591 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14593 @item nntp-via-envuser
14594 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14595 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14596 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14597 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14599 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14600 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14601 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14602 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14606 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14607 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14611 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14616 @item nntp-via-user-name
14617 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14618 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14620 @item nntp-via-address
14621 @vindex nntp-via-address
14622 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14627 @node Common Variables
14628 @subsubsection Common Variables
14630 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14631 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14632 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14633 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14634 variables individually).
14638 @item nntp-pre-command
14639 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14640 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14641 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14642 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14643 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14646 @vindex nntp-address
14647 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14649 @item nntp-port-number
14650 @vindex nntp-port-number
14651 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14652 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14653 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14654 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14655 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14656 not work with named ports.
14658 @item nntp-end-of-line
14659 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14660 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14661 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14662 using a non native telnet connection function.
14664 @item nntp-netcat-command
14665 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14666 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14667 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14668 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14671 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14672 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14673 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14679 @subsubsection NNTP marks
14680 @cindex storing NNTP marks
14682 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
14683 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
14684 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
14685 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
14686 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
14687 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
14688 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
14689 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
14691 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
14692 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
14693 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
14694 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
14695 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14697 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
14698 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
14699 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
14700 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
14701 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
14702 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
14703 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
14705 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
14706 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
14707 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14713 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
14714 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
14715 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
14716 default is @code{nil}.
14718 @item nntp-marks-directory
14719 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
14720 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
14726 @subsection News Spool
14730 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14731 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14732 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14735 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14736 anything else) as the address.
14738 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14739 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14740 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14741 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14745 @item nnspool-inews-program
14746 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14747 Program used to post an article.
14749 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14750 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14751 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14753 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14754 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14755 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14756 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14758 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14759 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14760 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14761 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14763 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14764 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14765 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14767 @item nnspool-active-file
14768 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14769 The name of the active file.
14771 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14772 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14773 The name of the group descriptions file.
14775 @item nnspool-history-file
14776 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14777 The name of the news history file.
14779 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14780 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14781 The name of the active date file.
14783 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14784 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14785 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14788 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14789 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14791 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14792 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14793 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14800 @section Using IMAP
14803 The most popular mail backend is probably @code{nnimap}, which
14804 provides access to @acronym{IMAP} servers. @acronym{IMAP} servers
14805 store mail remotely, so the client doesn't store anything locally.
14806 This means that it's a convenient choice when you're reading your mail
14807 from different locations, or with different user agents.
14810 * Connecting to an IMAP Server:: Getting started with @acronym{IMAP}.
14811 * Customizing the IMAP Connection:: Variables for @acronym{IMAP} connection.
14812 * Client-Side IMAP Splitting:: Put mail in the correct mail box.
14816 @node Connecting to an IMAP Server
14817 @subsection Connecting to an IMAP Server
14819 Connecting to an @acronym{IMAP} can be very easy. Type @kbd{B} in the
14820 group buffer, or (if your primary interest is reading email), say
14824 (setq gnus-select-method
14825 '(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"))
14828 You'll be prompted for a user name and password. If you grow tired of
14829 that, then add the following to your @file{~/.authinfo} file:
14832 machine imap.gmail.com login <username> password <password> port imap
14835 That should basically be it for most users.
14838 @node Customizing the IMAP Connection
14839 @subsection Customizing the IMAP Connection
14841 Here's an example method that's more complex:
14844 (nnimap "imap.gmail.com"
14845 (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
14846 (nnimap-split-methods default)
14848 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14852 @item nnimap-address
14853 The address of the server, like @samp{imap.gmail.com}.
14855 @item nnimap-server-port
14856 If the server uses a non-standard port, that can be specified here. A
14857 typical port would be @code{"imap"} or @code{"imaps"}.
14859 @item nnimap-stream
14860 How @code{nnimap} should connect to the server. Possible values are:
14864 This is the default, and this uses standard
14865 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connection.
14868 Non-encrypted and unsafe straight socket connection.
14871 Encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} over the normal @acronym{IMAP} port.
14874 If you need to tunnel via other systems to connect to the server, you
14875 can use this option, and customize @code{nnimap-shell-program} to be
14880 @item nnimap-authenticator
14881 Some @acronym{IMAP} servers allow anonymous logins. In that case,
14882 this should be set to @code{anonymous}.
14884 @item nnimap-expunge
14885 If non-@code{nil}, expunge articles after deleting them. This is always done
14886 if the server supports UID EXPUNGE, but it's not done by default on
14887 servers that doesn't support that command.
14889 @item nnimap-streaming
14890 Virtually all @code{IMAP} server support fast streaming of data. If
14891 you have problems connecting to the server, try setting this to @code{nil}.
14893 @item nnimap-fetch-partial-articles
14894 If non-@code{nil}, fetch partial articles from the server. If set to
14895 a string, then it's interpreted as a regexp, and parts that have
14896 matching types will be fetched. For instance, @samp{"text/"} will
14897 fetch all textual parts, while leaving the rest on the server.
14902 @node Client-Side IMAP Splitting
14903 @subsection Client-Side IMAP Splitting
14905 Many people prefer to do the sorting/splitting of mail into their mail
14906 boxes on the @acronym{IMAP} server. That way they don't have to
14907 download the mail they're not all that interested in.
14909 If you do want to do client-side mail splitting, then the following
14910 variables are relevant:
14914 This is the @acronym{IMAP} mail box that will be scanned for new mail.
14916 @item nnimap-split-methods
14917 Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-methods} (@pxref{Splitting
14918 Mail}), except the symbol @code{default}, which means that it should
14919 use the value of the @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable.
14921 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14922 Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14924 @item nnimap-unsplittable-articles
14925 List of flag symbols to ignore when doing splitting. That is,
14926 articles that have these flags won't be considered when splitting.
14927 The default is @samp{(%Deleted %Seen)}.
14933 @section Getting Mail
14934 @cindex reading mail
14937 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14941 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14942 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14943 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14944 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14945 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14946 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14947 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14948 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14949 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14950 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14951 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14952 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14953 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14957 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14958 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14960 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14961 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14962 of a culture shock.
14964 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14965 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14967 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14968 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14969 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14970 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14972 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14974 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14975 deleted? How awful!
14977 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14978 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14979 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14980 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14983 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14984 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14985 they want to treat a message.
14987 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14988 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14989 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14990 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14991 archived somewhere else.
14993 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14994 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14995 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14996 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14997 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14999 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
15000 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
15001 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
15003 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
15004 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
15007 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
15008 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
15009 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
15010 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
15011 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
15013 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
15014 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
15015 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
15016 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
15017 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
15018 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
15022 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
15023 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
15025 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
15026 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
15027 and things will happen automatically.
15029 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
15030 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15033 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15036 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
15037 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
15038 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
15039 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
15040 like any other group.
15042 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
15045 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15046 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15047 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
15051 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
15052 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
15053 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
15056 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
15057 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
15058 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
15061 @node Splitting Mail
15062 @subsection Splitting Mail
15063 @cindex splitting mail
15064 @cindex mail splitting
15065 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
15067 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
15068 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
15069 to be split into groups.
15072 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15073 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15074 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
15075 ("mail.other" "")))
15078 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
15079 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
15080 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
15081 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
15082 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
15083 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
15084 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
15087 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
15091 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
15092 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15094 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15095 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
15096 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
15097 mail belongs in that group.
15099 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
15100 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
15101 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
15102 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
15103 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
15104 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
15105 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
15106 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
15107 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
15108 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
15110 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
15111 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
15112 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
15113 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
15114 thinks should carry this mail message.
15116 This variable can also be a fancy split method. For the syntax,
15117 see @ref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15119 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
15120 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
15121 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
15122 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
15124 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
15125 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
15126 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
15127 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
15128 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
15130 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
15133 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
15134 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
15135 links. If that's the case for you, set
15136 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
15137 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
15139 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
15140 @findex nnmail-split-history
15141 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
15142 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
15143 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
15144 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
15147 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
15148 Header lines longer than the value of
15149 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
15152 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
15153 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
15154 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
15155 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
15156 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
15157 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
15158 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
15159 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
15160 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
15161 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
15162 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
15163 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
15165 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15166 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
15167 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
15168 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
15169 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
15170 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
15171 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
15172 other kinds of entries.)
15174 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
15175 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
15176 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
15177 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
15178 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
15179 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
15180 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
15181 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
15182 month's rent money.
15186 @subsection Mail Sources
15188 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
15189 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
15190 maildir, for instance.
15193 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
15194 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
15195 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
15199 @node Mail Source Specifiers
15200 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
15202 @cindex mail server
15205 @cindex mail source
15207 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
15208 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
15213 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
15216 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
15217 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
15218 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
15221 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
15222 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
15223 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
15224 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
15225 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
15226 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
15227 group might look like this:
15230 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
15233 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
15234 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
15236 The following mail source types are available:
15240 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
15246 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
15247 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
15248 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
15252 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15255 An example file mail source:
15258 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
15261 Or using the default file name:
15267 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
15268 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
15269 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
15270 mail spool while moving the mail.
15272 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
15276 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
15279 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
15283 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
15286 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
15288 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
15291 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
15292 file you want to use.
15296 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
15297 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
15298 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
15299 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
15300 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
15301 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
15302 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
15303 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
15304 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
15305 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
15307 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15308 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
15309 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
15310 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
15316 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
15320 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
15324 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
15325 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
15326 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
15327 predicate are considered.
15331 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15335 An example directory mail source:
15338 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
15343 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15349 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
15350 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15353 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
15354 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
15355 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
15356 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
15357 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
15360 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
15364 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
15365 the user is prompted.
15368 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
15369 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
15372 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
15375 The valid format specifier characters are:
15379 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
15380 included in this string.
15383 The name of the server.
15386 The port number of the server.
15389 The user name to use.
15392 The password to use.
15395 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15396 corresponding keywords.
15399 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15400 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15403 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15404 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15407 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
15408 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
15409 mail should be moved to.
15411 @item :authentication
15412 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
15413 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
15418 @vindex pop3-movemail
15419 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
15420 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
15421 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
15422 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
15423 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
15424 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
15425 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
15426 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
15427 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
15429 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15430 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
15431 name, and default fetcher:
15437 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
15440 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
15441 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
15444 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
15447 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
15451 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
15452 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
15453 contains exactly one mail.
15459 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
15460 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
15463 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
15464 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
15466 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
15467 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
15468 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
15471 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
15472 from locking problems).
15476 Two example maildir mail sources:
15479 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
15480 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
15484 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
15489 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
15490 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
15491 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
15492 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
15493 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{Using IMAP}, for more information.
15499 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
15500 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15503 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
15504 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
15507 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
15511 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
15515 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
15516 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
15517 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
15518 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
15520 @item :authentication
15521 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
15522 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
15523 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
15524 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
15527 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
15528 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
15529 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
15535 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
15536 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
15537 specifier characters are:
15541 The name of the server.
15544 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
15547 The port number of the server.
15550 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15551 corresponding keywords.
15554 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
15555 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
15558 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
15559 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
15560 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
15561 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15562 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15563 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15566 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15567 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15568 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15569 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15572 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15573 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15577 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15580 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15582 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15586 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15587 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15592 @item Common Keywords
15593 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15599 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15600 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15605 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15610 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15611 useful when you use local mail and news.
15616 @subsubsection Function Interface
15618 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15619 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15620 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15621 consider the following mail-source setting:
15624 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15625 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15628 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15629 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15630 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15631 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15632 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15634 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15637 @node Mail Source Customization
15638 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15640 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15641 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15645 @item mail-source-crash-box
15646 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15647 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15648 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15651 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15652 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15653 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15654 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15655 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15656 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15657 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15658 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15659 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15660 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15662 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15663 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15664 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15665 files. This variable only applies when
15666 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15668 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15669 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15670 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15672 @item mail-source-directory
15673 @vindex mail-source-directory
15674 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15675 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15676 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15677 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15679 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15680 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15681 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15682 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15683 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15684 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15687 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15688 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15689 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
15691 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15692 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15693 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15694 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15699 @node Fetching Mail
15700 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15702 @vindex mail-sources
15703 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15704 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15705 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15707 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15708 fetch mail by themselves.
15710 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15711 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15716 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15717 :password "secret")))
15720 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15724 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15725 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15728 :password "secret")))
15732 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15733 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15734 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15735 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15736 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15737 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15741 @node Mail Back End Variables
15742 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15744 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15748 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15749 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15750 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15751 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15753 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15754 @item nnmail-split-hook
15755 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15756 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15757 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15758 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15759 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15760 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15761 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15762 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15763 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15766 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15767 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15768 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15769 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15770 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15771 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15772 starting to handle the new mail) and
15773 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15774 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15775 default file modes the new mail files get:
15778 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15779 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
15781 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15782 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
15785 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15786 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15787 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15788 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15789 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15790 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15791 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15793 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15794 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15795 @findex delete-file
15796 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15798 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15799 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15800 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15801 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15802 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15804 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15805 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15806 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15807 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15808 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15810 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15811 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15812 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15817 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15818 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15819 @cindex mail splitting
15820 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15822 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15823 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15824 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15825 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15826 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15827 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15829 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15832 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15833 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15834 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15835 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15837 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15838 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15839 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15840 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15841 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15842 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15843 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15844 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15845 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15846 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15847 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15848 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15849 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15850 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15851 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15852 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15853 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15857 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15858 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15859 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15864 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15865 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15867 @c Don't fold this line.
15868 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15869 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15870 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15871 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15874 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15875 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15876 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15877 @var{split} is processed.
15879 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15880 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15881 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15882 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15884 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15885 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15886 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15887 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15888 stored in one or more groups.
15890 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15891 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15892 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15895 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15896 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15898 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15899 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15900 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15901 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15904 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15905 body of the messages:
15908 (defun split-on-body ()
15912 (goto-char (point-min))
15913 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15917 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15918 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15919 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15920 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15921 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15922 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15923 (@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
15925 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15926 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15927 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15928 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15929 should return a split.
15932 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15936 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15938 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15939 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15940 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15941 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15945 (any "joe" "joemail")
15949 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15950 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15951 of the following three ways:
15955 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15956 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15957 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15958 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15959 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15962 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15965 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15966 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15967 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15968 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15969 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15972 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15973 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15974 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15975 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15976 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15977 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15978 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15981 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15982 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15983 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15984 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15985 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15986 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15987 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15991 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15993 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15994 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15996 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15999 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
16000 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
16001 when all this splitting is performed.
16003 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
16004 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
16005 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
16008 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
16011 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
16012 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
16014 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
16015 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
16016 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
16017 groupings 1 through 9.
16019 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
16020 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
16021 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
16022 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
16023 groups when users send to an address using different case
16024 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
16027 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
16028 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
16029 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
16030 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
16031 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
16032 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
16033 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
16034 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
16035 it once per thread.
16037 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
16038 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
16039 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
16040 using the colon feature, like so:
16042 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
16043 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
16045 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
16046 ;; @r{other splits go here}
16050 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
16051 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
16052 in the file specified by the variable
16053 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
16054 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
16055 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
16056 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
16057 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
16058 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
16059 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
16060 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
16061 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
16062 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
16063 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
16064 300 kBytes in size.)
16065 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
16066 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
16067 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
16068 messages goes into the new group.
16070 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
16071 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
16072 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
16073 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
16074 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
16075 ``outgoing'' group.
16078 @node Group Mail Splitting
16079 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
16080 @cindex mail splitting
16081 @cindex group mail splitting
16083 @findex gnus-group-split
16084 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
16085 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
16086 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
16087 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
16088 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
16089 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
16090 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
16091 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
16093 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
16094 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
16095 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
16096 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
16098 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
16099 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
16100 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
16101 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
16102 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
16103 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
16104 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
16106 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
16107 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
16108 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
16109 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
16110 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
16111 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
16112 @code{gnus-group-split}.
16114 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
16115 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
16116 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
16117 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
16118 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
16119 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
16120 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
16121 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
16122 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
16123 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
16124 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
16125 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
16126 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
16128 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
16133 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
16134 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
16136 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
16137 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
16138 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
16139 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
16141 ((split-spec . catch-all))
16144 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
16145 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
16146 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
16149 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
16150 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
16151 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
16155 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
16156 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
16157 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
16161 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
16164 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
16165 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
16166 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
16167 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
16168 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
16169 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
16170 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
16171 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
16172 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
16174 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
16175 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
16176 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
16177 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
16178 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
16179 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
16180 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
16181 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
16182 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
16184 @findex gnus-group-split-update
16185 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
16186 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
16187 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
16188 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
16189 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
16192 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
16195 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
16196 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
16197 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
16198 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
16199 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
16202 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
16203 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
16204 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
16205 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
16207 @node Incorporating Old Mail
16208 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
16209 @cindex incorporating old mail
16210 @cindex import old mail
16212 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
16213 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
16214 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
16217 Doing so can be quite easy.
16219 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
16220 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
16221 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
16222 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
16223 your @code{nnml} groups.
16229 Go to the group buffer.
16232 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
16233 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16236 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
16239 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
16240 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16243 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
16244 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
16247 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
16248 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
16249 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
16250 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
16251 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
16253 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
16254 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
16255 using the new mail back end.
16258 @node Expiring Mail
16259 @subsection Expiring Mail
16260 @cindex article expiry
16261 @cindex expiring mail
16263 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
16264 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
16265 different approach to mail reading.
16267 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
16268 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
16269 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
16270 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
16271 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
16272 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
16275 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
16276 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
16277 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
16278 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
16279 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
16280 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
16281 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
16282 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
16283 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
16285 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
16286 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
16287 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
16288 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
16289 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
16290 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
16291 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
16294 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
16295 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
16296 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
16297 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
16298 into its own group.)
16300 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
16301 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
16302 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
16303 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
16304 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
16305 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
16306 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
16307 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
16310 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16311 Groups that match the regular expression
16312 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
16313 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
16314 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
16316 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
16317 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
16318 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
16319 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
16320 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16322 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
16324 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
16325 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
16326 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
16329 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
16330 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
16331 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
16332 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
16333 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
16335 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
16336 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
16339 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16340 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
16343 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
16344 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
16346 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
16347 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
16348 don't really mix very well.
16350 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
16351 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
16352 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
16353 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
16356 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
16357 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
16358 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
16359 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
16362 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16364 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16366 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
16368 ((string= group "mail.junk")
16370 ((string= group "important")
16376 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
16377 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
16379 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
16380 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
16381 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
16384 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
16385 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16387 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
16388 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
16389 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
16390 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
16391 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
16392 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
16393 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
16394 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
16395 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
16396 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
16397 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
16398 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
16399 name or @code{delete}.
16401 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
16403 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
16406 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16407 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16408 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
16409 expire mail to groups according to the variable
16410 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
16413 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16414 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16415 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
16416 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
16417 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
16420 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
16421 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
16422 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
16423 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
16424 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
16425 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
16427 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
16428 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
16429 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
16430 easier for procmail users.
16432 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
16433 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
16434 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
16435 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
16436 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
16437 caution. Even more dangerous is the
16438 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
16439 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
16440 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
16441 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
16442 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
16443 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
16444 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
16447 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
16449 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
16450 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
16451 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
16452 auto-expire turned on.
16454 @vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
16455 The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
16456 them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
16457 preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
16458 hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
16459 articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
16460 when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
16461 will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
16462 marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
16463 articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
16464 don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
16465 into auto-expire groups, you can set
16466 @code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
16467 non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
16468 be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
16469 group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
16473 @subsection Washing Mail
16474 @cindex mail washing
16475 @cindex list server brain damage
16476 @cindex incoming mail treatment
16478 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
16479 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
16480 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
16481 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
16482 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
16483 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
16485 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
16486 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
16487 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
16490 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
16491 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
16492 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
16493 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
16496 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16497 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16498 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
16499 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
16500 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
16503 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16504 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16505 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
16506 Emacs running on MS machines.
16510 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16511 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16512 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
16513 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
16516 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16517 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16518 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
16519 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
16521 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
16522 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
16523 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
16524 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
16525 into a feature by documenting it.)
16527 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16528 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16529 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
16530 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
16531 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
16532 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
16533 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
16536 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
16537 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
16540 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
16541 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
16544 This can also be done non-destructively with
16545 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
16547 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
16548 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
16549 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
16551 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16552 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16553 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
16556 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
16557 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
16558 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16559 contain a line matching the regular expression
16560 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16564 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16565 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16566 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16570 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16571 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16572 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16579 @subsection Duplicates
16581 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16582 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16583 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16584 @cindex duplicate mails
16585 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16586 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16587 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16588 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
16589 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16590 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16591 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16592 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16593 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16594 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16595 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16596 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16597 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16599 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16600 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16601 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16602 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16604 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16607 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16608 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16612 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16613 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16614 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16615 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16616 (any mail "mail.misc")
16617 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16623 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16624 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16625 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16629 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16630 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16631 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16632 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16633 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16636 @node Not Reading Mail
16637 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16639 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16640 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16641 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16643 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16644 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16645 mail, which should help.
16647 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16648 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16649 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16650 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16651 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16652 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16653 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
16654 23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16655 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16656 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16657 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16659 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16660 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16664 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16665 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16667 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16668 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16669 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16671 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16672 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16673 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16677 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16678 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
16679 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16680 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16681 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16682 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16683 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16688 @node Unix Mail Box
16689 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16691 @cindex unix mail box
16693 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16694 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16695 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16696 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16697 which group it belongs in.
16699 Virtual server settings:
16702 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16703 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16704 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16707 @item nnmbox-active-file
16708 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16709 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16710 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16712 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16713 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16714 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16715 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16720 @subsubsection Babyl
16723 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16724 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16725 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
16726 @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
16727 group it belongs in.
16729 Virtual server settings:
16732 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16733 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16734 The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16736 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16737 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16738 The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
16739 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16741 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16742 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16743 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16749 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16751 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16753 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16754 format. It should be used with some caution.
16756 @vindex nnml-directory
16757 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16758 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16759 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16760 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16762 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16765 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16766 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16767 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16768 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16769 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16770 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16771 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16772 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16774 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16775 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16776 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16777 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16779 @cindex self contained nnml servers
16781 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
16782 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16783 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16784 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
16785 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
16786 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
16787 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
16788 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
16791 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
16792 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
16793 them next time it starts.
16795 Virtual server settings:
16798 @item nnml-directory
16799 @vindex nnml-directory
16800 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16801 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16804 @item nnml-active-file
16805 @vindex nnml-active-file
16806 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16807 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16809 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16810 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16811 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16812 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16814 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16815 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16816 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16819 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16820 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16821 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16822 default is @code{nil}.
16824 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16825 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16826 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16828 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16829 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16830 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16832 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
16833 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
16834 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16835 default is @code{nil}.
16837 @item nnml-marks-file-name
16838 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
16839 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
16841 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16842 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16843 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16844 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16845 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16846 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16847 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16848 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16849 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16851 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16852 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16853 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16854 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16855 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16859 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16860 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16861 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16862 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16863 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16864 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16865 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16870 @subsubsection MH Spool
16872 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16874 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16875 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16876 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16877 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16880 Virtual server settings:
16883 @item nnmh-directory
16884 @vindex nnmh-directory
16885 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16886 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16889 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16890 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16891 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16895 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16896 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16897 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16898 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16899 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16900 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16901 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16906 @subsubsection Maildir
16910 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16911 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16912 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16913 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16914 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16917 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16918 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16919 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16920 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16921 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16922 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16923 that appear as group in Gnus.
16925 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16926 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16927 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16929 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16930 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16931 another, and you will keep your marks.
16933 Virtual server settings:
16937 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16938 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16939 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16940 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16941 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16942 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16943 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16944 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16945 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16946 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16948 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16949 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16950 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16951 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16952 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16953 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16954 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16955 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16956 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16957 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16960 @item target-prefix
16961 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16962 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16963 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16966 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16967 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16968 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16969 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16970 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16971 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16972 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16973 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16974 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16976 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16977 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16978 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16979 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16980 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16982 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16983 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16984 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16985 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16986 @code{force} argument.
16988 @item directory-files
16989 This should be a function with the same interface as
16990 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16991 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16992 parameter is optional; the default is
16993 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16994 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16995 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16996 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16997 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16998 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
17001 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
17002 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
17003 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
17004 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
17005 value is @code{nil}.
17007 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
17008 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
17009 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
17010 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
17011 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
17014 @subsubsection Group parameters
17016 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
17017 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
17018 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
17019 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
17020 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
17021 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
17024 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
17025 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
17026 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
17027 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
17028 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
17029 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
17030 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
17031 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
17032 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
17036 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
17037 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
17038 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
17039 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
17040 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
17041 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
17042 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
17043 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
17044 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
17045 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
17046 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
17047 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
17048 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
17051 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
17053 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
17055 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
17056 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
17057 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
17058 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
17059 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
17060 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
17061 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
17062 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
17063 article. So that form can refer to
17064 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
17065 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
17066 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
17067 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
17070 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
17071 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
17072 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
17073 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
17074 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
17075 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
17076 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
17077 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
17078 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
17079 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
17080 contain extra copies of the articles.
17082 @item directory-files
17083 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
17084 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
17085 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
17086 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
17088 @item distrust-Lines:
17089 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
17090 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
17091 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
17094 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
17095 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17096 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
17097 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
17098 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
17099 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17102 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
17103 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17104 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
17105 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
17106 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
17107 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
17108 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17110 @item nov-cache-size
17111 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
17112 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
17113 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
17114 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
17115 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
17116 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
17117 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
17118 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
17119 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
17120 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
17121 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
17124 @subsubsection Article identification
17125 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
17126 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
17127 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
17128 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
17129 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
17130 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
17131 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
17132 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
17133 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
17134 request the article in the summary buffer.
17136 @subsubsection NOV data
17137 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
17138 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
17139 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
17140 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
17141 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
17142 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
17143 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
17144 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
17145 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
17146 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
17147 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
17149 @subsubsection Article marks
17150 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
17151 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
17152 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17153 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
17154 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17155 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
17156 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
17157 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
17159 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
17160 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
17161 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
17162 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
17163 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
17164 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
17165 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
17166 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
17167 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
17171 @subsubsection Mail Folders
17173 @cindex mbox folders
17174 @cindex mail folders
17176 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
17177 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
17178 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
17179 numbers and arrival dates.
17181 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
17183 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
17184 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
17185 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
17186 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
17187 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
17188 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
17189 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
17190 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
17191 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
17192 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
17194 Virtual server settings:
17197 @item nnfolder-directory
17198 @vindex nnfolder-directory
17199 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
17200 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
17201 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
17203 @item nnfolder-active-file
17204 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
17205 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
17207 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17208 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17209 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
17210 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
17212 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
17213 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
17214 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
17215 default is @code{t}
17217 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17218 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17219 @cindex backup files
17220 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
17221 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
17222 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
17223 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
17226 (defun turn-off-backup ()
17227 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
17229 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
17232 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17233 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17234 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
17235 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
17236 extract some information from it before removing it.
17238 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17239 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17240 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
17241 default is @code{nil}.
17243 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17244 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17245 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
17247 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
17248 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
17249 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
17250 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17252 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17253 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17254 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
17255 default is @code{nil}.
17257 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17258 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17259 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
17261 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
17262 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
17263 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
17264 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17269 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
17270 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
17271 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
17272 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
17273 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
17274 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
17277 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
17278 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
17280 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
17281 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
17282 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
17283 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
17284 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
17286 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
17287 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
17288 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
17289 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
17290 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
17291 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
17292 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
17293 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
17296 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
17297 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
17298 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
17299 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
17304 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
17305 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
17306 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
17307 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
17308 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
17309 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
17310 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
17311 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
17312 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
17313 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
17314 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
17315 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
17316 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
17321 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
17322 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
17323 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
17324 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
17325 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
17326 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
17327 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
17328 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
17329 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
17330 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
17331 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
17332 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
17333 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
17334 course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
17335 uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
17337 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
17338 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
17343 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
17344 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
17345 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
17346 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
17347 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
17348 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
17349 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
17350 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
17351 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
17352 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
17353 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
17354 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
17355 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
17356 provided by the active file and overviews.
17358 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
17359 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
17360 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
17361 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
17362 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
17365 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
17366 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
17371 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
17372 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
17373 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
17374 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
17375 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
17376 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
17377 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
17381 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
17382 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
17383 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
17384 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
17385 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
17386 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
17387 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
17388 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
17389 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
17391 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
17392 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
17393 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
17394 friendly mail back end all over.
17398 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
17399 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
17402 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
17403 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
17404 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
17405 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
17406 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}.
17407 (Use @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this
17408 slows you down or takes up very much space, a non-block-structured
17411 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
17412 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
17413 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
17414 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
17415 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
17416 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
17417 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
17418 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
17419 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
17420 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
17421 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
17423 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
17424 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
17425 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
17426 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
17427 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
17430 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
17431 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
17432 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
17433 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
17434 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
17435 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
17436 removed in the future.
17438 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
17439 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
17440 on your file system.
17442 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
17443 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
17448 @node Browsing the Web
17449 @section Browsing the Web
17451 @cindex browsing the web
17455 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
17456 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
17457 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
17458 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
17459 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
17460 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
17461 even know what a news group is.
17463 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
17464 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
17465 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
17466 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
17467 you mad in the end.
17469 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
17472 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
17473 interfaces to these sources.
17477 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
17478 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
17479 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
17482 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
17483 alternatives to work.
17485 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
17486 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
17487 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
17488 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
17489 though, you should be ok.
17491 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
17492 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
17493 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
17494 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
17495 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
17497 @node Archiving Mail
17498 @subsection Archiving Mail
17499 @cindex archiving mail
17500 @cindex backup of mail
17502 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
17503 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
17504 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
17505 marks is fairly simple.
17507 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
17508 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
17511 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
17512 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
17513 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
17514 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
17515 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
17516 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
17517 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
17518 before you restore the data.
17520 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
17521 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
17522 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
17523 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
17524 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
17525 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
17526 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
17527 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
17528 is unnecessary in that case.
17531 @subsection Web Searches
17536 @cindex Usenet searches
17537 @cindex searching the Usenet
17539 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
17540 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
17541 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
17542 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
17543 searches without having to use a browser.
17545 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
17546 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
17547 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
17548 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
17549 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
17551 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
17552 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
17553 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
17554 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
17555 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
17556 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
17557 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
17558 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
17559 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
17560 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
17563 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
17564 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
17565 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
17566 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
17567 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
17568 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
17570 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
17571 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
17572 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
17574 Virtual server variables:
17579 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
17580 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
17581 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
17584 @vindex nnweb-search
17585 The search string to feed to the search engine.
17587 @item nnweb-max-hits
17588 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
17589 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
17592 @item nnweb-type-definition
17593 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
17594 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
17595 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
17600 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
17604 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
17607 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
17610 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
17614 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17625 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17626 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17627 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17628 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17629 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
17631 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17632 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17634 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17635 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17636 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17639 @kindex G R (Group)
17640 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17641 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17642 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17643 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17645 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17646 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17647 subscribe to groups.
17649 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17650 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17651 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17652 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17653 variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
17656 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17657 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17658 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17661 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17662 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17665 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17666 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17670 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17671 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17672 @acronym{OPML} format.
17675 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17678 @item nnrss-directory
17679 @vindex nnrss-directory
17680 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17681 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17683 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17684 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17685 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17686 data files. The default is the value of
17687 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17688 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17690 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17691 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17692 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17693 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17694 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17695 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17696 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17697 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17699 @item nnrss-use-local
17700 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17701 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17702 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17703 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17704 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17705 download script using @command{wget}.
17708 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17709 the summary buffer.
17712 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17713 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17715 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17717 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17718 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17721 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17725 (require 'browse-url)
17727 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17729 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17732 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17733 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17736 (browse-url (cdr url))
17737 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17738 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17740 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17741 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17742 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17743 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17746 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17747 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17748 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17749 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17750 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17751 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17752 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17753 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17754 @code{nnrss} groups:
17757 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17758 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17760 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17761 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17762 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17764 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17767 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17771 @node Customizing W3
17772 @subsection Customizing W3
17778 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17779 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17780 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17783 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17784 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17785 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17788 (eval-after-load "w3"
17790 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17791 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17792 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17793 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17795 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17798 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17799 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17803 @node Other Sources
17804 @section Other Sources
17806 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17807 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17811 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17812 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17813 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17814 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17818 @node Directory Groups
17819 @subsection Directory Groups
17821 @cindex directory groups
17823 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17824 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17827 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17828 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17829 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17830 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17832 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17833 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17834 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17835 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17836 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17838 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17840 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17841 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17842 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17843 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17846 @node Anything Groups
17847 @subsection Anything Groups
17850 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17851 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17852 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17855 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17856 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17857 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17858 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17859 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17860 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17861 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17862 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17863 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17864 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17867 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17868 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17869 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17870 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17872 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17873 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17874 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17875 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17877 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17878 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17879 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17880 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17881 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17882 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17883 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17884 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17889 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17890 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17891 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17892 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17894 @item nneething-exclude-files
17895 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17896 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17897 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17899 @item nneething-include-files
17900 @vindex nneething-include-files
17901 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17902 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17904 @item nneething-map-file
17905 @vindex nneething-map-file
17906 Name of the map files.
17910 @node Document Groups
17911 @subsection Document Groups
17913 @cindex documentation group
17916 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17917 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17927 The standard Unix mbox file.
17929 @cindex MMDF mail box
17931 The MMDF mail box format.
17934 Several news articles appended into a file.
17936 @cindex rnews batch files
17938 The rnews batch transport format.
17941 Netscape mail boxes.
17944 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17946 @item standard-digest
17947 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17950 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17952 @item lanl-gov-announce
17953 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17955 @cindex git commit messages
17957 @code{git} commit messages.
17959 @cindex forwarded messages
17960 @item rfc822-forward
17961 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17964 The Outlook mail box.
17967 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17970 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17973 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17976 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17982 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17985 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17991 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17992 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17993 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17996 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17997 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17998 group. And that's it.
18000 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
18001 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
18002 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
18003 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
18004 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
18005 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
18006 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
18007 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
18008 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
18009 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
18011 Virtual server variables:
18014 @item nndoc-article-type
18015 @vindex nndoc-article-type
18016 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
18017 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
18018 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
18019 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
18020 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
18022 @item nndoc-post-type
18023 @vindex nndoc-post-type
18024 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
18025 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
18030 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
18034 @node Document Server Internals
18035 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
18037 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
18038 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
18039 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
18040 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
18042 First, here's an example document type definition:
18046 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
18047 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
18050 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
18051 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
18052 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
18053 types can be defined with very few settings:
18056 @item first-article
18057 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
18058 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
18061 @item article-begin
18062 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
18063 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
18064 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
18065 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
18067 @item article-begin-function
18068 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
18069 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
18072 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
18073 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
18074 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
18076 @item head-begin-function
18077 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
18078 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
18081 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
18082 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
18085 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
18086 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
18087 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
18089 @item body-begin-function
18090 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
18091 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
18094 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
18095 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
18096 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
18098 @item body-end-function
18099 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
18100 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
18103 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
18104 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
18107 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
18108 regexp will be totally ignored.
18112 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
18113 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
18114 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
18115 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
18116 something that's palatable for Gnus:
18119 @item prepare-body-function
18120 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
18121 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
18122 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
18124 @item article-transform-function
18125 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
18126 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
18127 body of the article.
18129 @item generate-head-function
18130 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
18131 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
18132 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
18133 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
18135 @item generate-article-function
18136 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
18137 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
18138 parameter when requesting all articles.
18140 @item dissection-function
18141 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
18142 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
18143 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
18144 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
18145 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
18146 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
18150 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
18155 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18156 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18157 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
18158 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
18159 (head-end . "^ ?$")
18160 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
18161 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
18162 (subtype digest guess))
18165 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
18166 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
18167 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18168 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18169 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18171 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18172 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18173 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18174 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18175 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18176 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18177 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18178 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18179 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18180 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18181 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18182 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18185 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
18186 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
18187 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
18190 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
18191 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
18192 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
18194 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
18200 @item nngateway-address
18201 @vindex nngateway-address
18202 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
18204 @item nngateway-header-transformation
18205 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
18206 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
18207 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
18208 transformation should be called, and defaults to
18209 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
18210 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
18213 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
18214 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
18215 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
18218 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
18221 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
18224 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
18227 The following pre-defined functions exist:
18229 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18232 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18233 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18234 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
18236 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18238 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18239 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18240 @code{nngateway-address}.
18248 (setq gnus-post-method
18250 "mail2news@@replay.com"
18251 (nngateway-header-transformation
18252 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
18255 So, to use this, simply say something like:
18258 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
18263 @node Combined Groups
18264 @section Combined Groups
18266 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
18270 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
18274 @node Virtual Groups
18275 @subsection Virtual Groups
18277 @cindex virtual groups
18278 @cindex merging groups
18280 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
18283 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
18284 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
18285 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
18287 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
18288 regexp to match component groups.
18290 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
18291 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
18292 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
18293 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
18294 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
18295 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
18296 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
18297 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
18299 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
18300 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
18303 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
18306 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
18307 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
18309 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
18310 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
18311 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
18312 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
18315 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
18318 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
18319 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
18320 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
18322 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
18323 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
18324 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
18325 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
18326 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
18328 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
18329 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
18330 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
18332 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
18333 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
18334 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
18335 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
18336 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
18337 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
18338 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
18339 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
18340 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
18341 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
18342 it---it'll have much the same effect.
18344 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
18345 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
18346 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
18347 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
18348 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
18349 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
18350 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
18352 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
18353 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
18355 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
18356 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
18360 @node Email Based Diary
18361 @section Email Based Diary
18363 @cindex email based diary
18366 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
18367 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
18368 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
18369 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
18370 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
18371 namely, as event reminders.
18373 Here is a typical scenario:
18377 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
18378 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
18380 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
18382 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
18384 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
18385 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
18386 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
18388 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
18389 of the night you're gonna have.
18391 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
18392 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
18395 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
18396 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
18397 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
18398 explained in the sections below.
18401 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
18402 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
18403 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
18407 @node The NNDiary Back End
18408 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
18410 @cindex the nndiary back end
18412 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
18413 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
18414 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
18415 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
18416 directory per group.
18418 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
18419 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
18420 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
18421 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
18424 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
18425 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
18426 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
18429 @node Diary Messages
18430 @subsubsection Diary Messages
18431 @cindex nndiary messages
18432 @cindex nndiary mails
18434 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
18435 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
18436 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
18437 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
18438 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
18439 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
18440 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
18444 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
18445 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
18446 (separated by a comma).
18448 A field is either an integer, or a range.
18450 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
18452 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
18453 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
18454 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
18456 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
18457 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
18458 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
18460 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
18461 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
18462 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
18463 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
18464 list of available time zone values, see the variable
18465 @code{nndiary-headers}.
18468 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
18469 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
18470 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18475 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18478 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18480 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18483 @node Running NNDiary
18484 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18485 @cindex running nndiary
18486 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18488 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18489 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18490 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18491 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18492 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18493 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18495 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18496 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18497 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18498 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18499 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18500 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18501 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18504 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18509 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18510 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18513 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18516 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18517 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18518 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18519 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18520 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18522 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18523 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18532 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18533 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18535 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18536 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18537 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18538 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18541 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18542 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18543 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18546 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18547 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18548 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18550 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18551 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18552 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18553 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18554 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18556 @node Customizing NNDiary
18557 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18558 @cindex customizing nndiary
18559 @cindex nndiary customization
18561 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18562 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18563 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18564 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18566 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18567 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18568 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18569 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18570 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18574 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18575 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18580 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18581 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18583 @cindex the gnus diary library
18585 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18586 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18587 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18588 useful things for you.
18590 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18593 (require 'gnus-diary)
18596 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18597 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18598 (sorry if you used them before).
18602 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18603 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18604 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18605 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18608 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18609 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18610 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18611 @cindex diary summary line format
18613 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18614 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18615 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18616 see the event's date.
18618 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18619 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18620 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18621 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18622 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18624 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18625 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18626 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18629 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18632 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18633 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18636 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18639 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18640 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18641 with the following user options:
18643 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18644 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18645 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18646 diary groups'parameters.
18649 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18650 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18651 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18654 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18655 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18656 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18657 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18658 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18661 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18662 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18663 @cindex diary articles sorting
18664 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18665 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18666 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18667 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18669 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18670 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18671 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18672 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18673 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18675 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18676 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18677 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18678 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18681 @node Diary Headers Generation
18682 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18683 @cindex diary headers generation
18684 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18686 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18687 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18688 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18689 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18692 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18693 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18694 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
18695 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
18696 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
18698 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18699 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18700 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18703 @node Diary Group Parameters
18704 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18705 @cindex diary group parameters
18707 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18708 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18709 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18710 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18711 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18712 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18713 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18714 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18716 @node Sending or Not Sending
18717 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18719 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
18720 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18724 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18725 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18726 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18727 sending the diary message to them as well.
18729 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18730 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18731 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18732 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18735 @node Gnus Unplugged
18736 @section Gnus Unplugged
18741 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18743 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18744 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18745 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18746 read news. Believe it or not.
18748 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18749 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18750 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18751 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18752 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18754 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18755 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18756 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18757 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18758 reading news on a machine.
18760 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18761 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18762 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18764 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18767 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18768 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18769 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18770 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18771 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18772 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18773 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18774 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18775 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18776 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18777 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18778 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18779 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18780 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18785 @subsection Agent Basics
18787 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18789 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18790 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18791 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18792 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18794 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18795 connected to the net continuously.
18797 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18798 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18800 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18801 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18802 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18803 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18804 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18806 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18807 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18808 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18809 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18810 they're kinda like plugged always).
18812 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18813 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18814 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18817 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18818 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18819 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18820 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18821 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18823 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18828 @findex gnus-unplugged
18829 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18830 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18831 already fetched while in this mode.
18834 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18835 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18836 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18837 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18838 Source Specifiers}).
18841 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18842 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18843 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18844 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18845 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18848 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18849 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18850 then you read the news offline.
18853 And then you go to step 2.
18856 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18862 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18863 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18864 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18865 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18866 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18867 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18868 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18869 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18872 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18873 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18874 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18875 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18877 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18878 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18879 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18880 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18881 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18882 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18886 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18890 @node Agent Categories
18891 @subsection Agent Categories
18893 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18894 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18895 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18896 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18897 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18898 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18899 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18901 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18902 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18903 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18904 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18905 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18907 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18908 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18909 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18910 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18911 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18914 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18915 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18916 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18917 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18918 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18919 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18923 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18924 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18925 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18929 @node Category Syntax
18930 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18932 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18933 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18934 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18937 @cindex Agent Parameters
18940 The list of groups that are in this category.
18942 @item agent-predicate
18943 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18944 are eligible for downloading; and
18947 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18948 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18949 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18951 @item agent-enable-expiration
18952 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18953 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18954 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18955 only groups that should not be expired.
18957 @item agent-days-until-old
18958 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18959 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18961 @item agent-low-score
18962 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18964 @item agent-high-score
18965 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18967 @item agent-short-article
18968 an integer that overrides the value of
18969 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18971 @item agent-long-article
18972 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18974 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18975 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18976 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18977 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18978 undownloaded faces.
18981 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18984 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18985 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18986 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18989 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18990 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18991 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18992 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18994 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18995 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18996 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18998 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18999 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
19000 operators sprinkled in between.
19002 Perhaps some examples are in order.
19004 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
19005 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
19011 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
19012 short (for some value of ``short'').
19014 Here's a more complex predicate:
19023 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
19024 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
19027 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
19028 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
19029 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
19031 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
19032 you want to do, you can write your own.
19034 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
19035 bound to the value determined by calling
19036 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
19037 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
19038 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
19039 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
19040 predicate to individual groups.
19044 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
19045 lines; default 100.
19048 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
19049 lines; default 200.
19052 True if the article has a download score less than
19053 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
19056 True if the article has a download score greater than
19057 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
19060 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
19061 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
19062 checksum and sees whether articles match.
19071 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
19072 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
19073 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
19076 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
19077 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
19078 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
19079 something along the lines of the following:
19082 (defun my-article-old-p ()
19083 "Say whether an article is old."
19084 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
19085 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
19088 with the predicate then defined as:
19091 (not my-article-old-p)
19094 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
19095 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
19099 (require 'gnus-agent)
19100 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
19101 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
19102 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
19105 and simply specify your predicate as:
19111 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
19112 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
19113 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
19114 just don't give a damn.
19116 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
19117 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
19118 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
19119 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
19120 parameters like so:
19123 (agent-predicate . short)
19126 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
19127 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
19128 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
19130 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
19133 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
19136 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
19137 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
19138 predicate is assumed to be a list.
19141 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
19142 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
19143 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
19144 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
19145 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
19146 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
19148 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
19149 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
19150 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
19151 if it's to be specific to that group.
19153 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
19160 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
19161 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
19167 Category specification
19171 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19177 Group/Topic Parameter specification
19180 (agent-score ("from"
19181 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19186 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
19192 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
19193 keywords stated above.
19199 Category specification
19202 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
19208 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
19212 Group Parameter specification
19215 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
19218 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
19223 Use @code{normal} score files
19225 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
19226 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
19227 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
19228 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
19230 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
19231 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
19232 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
19233 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
19237 Category Specification
19244 Group Parameter specification
19247 (agent-score . file)
19252 @node Category Buffer
19253 @subsubsection Category Buffer
19255 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
19256 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
19257 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
19259 The following commands are available in this buffer:
19263 @kindex q (Category)
19264 @findex gnus-category-exit
19265 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
19268 @kindex e (Category)
19269 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
19270 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
19271 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
19274 @kindex k (Category)
19275 @findex gnus-category-kill
19276 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
19279 @kindex c (Category)
19280 @findex gnus-category-copy
19281 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
19284 @kindex a (Category)
19285 @findex gnus-category-add
19286 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
19289 @kindex p (Category)
19290 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
19291 Edit the predicate of the current category
19292 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
19295 @kindex g (Category)
19296 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
19297 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
19298 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
19301 @kindex s (Category)
19302 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
19303 Edit the download score rule of the current category
19304 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
19307 @kindex l (Category)
19308 @findex gnus-category-list
19309 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
19313 @node Category Variables
19314 @subsubsection Category Variables
19317 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
19318 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
19319 Hook run in category buffers.
19321 @item gnus-category-line-format
19322 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
19323 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
19324 Variables}). Valid elements are:
19328 The name of the category.
19331 The number of groups in the category.
19334 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
19335 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
19336 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
19338 @item gnus-agent-short-article
19339 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
19340 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
19342 @item gnus-agent-long-article
19343 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
19344 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
19346 @item gnus-agent-low-score
19347 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
19348 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
19351 @item gnus-agent-high-score
19352 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
19353 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
19356 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
19357 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19358 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
19359 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
19360 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
19361 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
19362 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
19363 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
19367 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19368 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19369 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
19370 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
19371 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
19372 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
19373 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
19378 @node Agent Commands
19379 @subsection Agent Commands
19380 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
19381 @kindex J j (Agent)
19383 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
19384 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
19385 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
19389 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
19390 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
19391 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
19397 @node Group Agent Commands
19398 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
19402 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
19403 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
19404 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
19405 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
19408 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
19409 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
19410 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
19413 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
19414 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
19415 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
19416 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
19419 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
19420 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
19421 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
19422 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
19425 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
19426 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
19427 Add the current group to an Agent category
19428 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
19429 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19432 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
19433 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
19434 Remove the current group from its category, if any
19435 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
19436 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19439 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
19440 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19441 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
19447 @node Summary Agent Commands
19448 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
19452 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
19453 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
19454 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
19457 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
19458 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
19459 Remove the downloading mark from the article
19460 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
19464 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
19465 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
19466 Toggle whether to download the article
19467 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
19471 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
19472 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
19473 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19476 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19477 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19478 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19479 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19482 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19483 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19484 Download all processable articles in this group.
19485 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19488 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19489 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19490 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19491 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19496 @node Server Agent Commands
19497 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19501 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19502 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19503 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19504 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19507 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19508 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19509 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19510 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19515 @node Agent Visuals
19516 @subsection Agent Visuals
19518 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19519 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19520 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19521 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19522 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19523 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19524 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19525 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19526 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19527 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19529 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19530 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19531 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19532 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19533 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19534 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19535 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19536 articles will be available when unplugged.
19538 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19539 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19540 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19541 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19542 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19543 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19544 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19545 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19547 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19548 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19549 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19550 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19551 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19552 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19553 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19554 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19555 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19557 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19558 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19559 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19560 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19561 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19562 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19563 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19564 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19565 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19566 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19568 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19569 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19570 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19571 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19572 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19573 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19575 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19576 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19577 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19578 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19579 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19580 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19581 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19582 expiring'' articles.
19584 @node Agent as Cache
19585 @subsection Agent as Cache
19587 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19588 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19589 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19590 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19591 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19592 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19593 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19594 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19595 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19597 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19598 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19599 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19600 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19601 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19604 @subsection Agent Expiry
19606 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19607 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19608 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19609 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19610 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19611 @cindex agent expiry
19612 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19613 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
19615 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19616 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19617 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19618 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19619 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19620 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19621 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19622 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19624 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19625 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19626 synchronized with the group.
19628 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19629 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19631 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19632 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19633 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19634 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19635 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19636 be kept indefinitely.
19638 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19639 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19640 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19641 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19643 @node Agent Regeneration
19644 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19646 @cindex agent regeneration
19647 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19648 @cindex regeneration
19650 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19651 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19652 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19653 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19654 internal inconsistencies.
19656 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19657 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19658 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19659 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19660 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19661 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19663 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19664 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19665 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19666 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19667 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19668 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19670 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19671 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19672 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19673 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19674 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19675 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19678 @node Agent and flags
19679 @subsection Agent and flags
19681 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19682 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19683 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19684 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19685 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19686 to the flags in its own files.
19688 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19689 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19690 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19692 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19693 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19694 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19695 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19696 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19697 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19699 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19700 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19701 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19702 in the group buffer.
19704 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19705 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19706 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19707 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19708 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19709 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19710 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19711 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19713 @node Agent and IMAP
19714 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19716 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19717 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19718 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19719 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19721 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19722 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19727 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19730 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19734 @node Outgoing Messages
19735 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19737 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19738 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19739 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19741 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19742 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19743 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19745 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19746 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19747 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19748 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19751 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19752 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19753 ask you to confirm your action (see
19754 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19756 @node Agent Variables
19757 @subsection Agent Variables
19762 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19763 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19764 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19765 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19767 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19768 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19771 @item gnus-agent-directory
19772 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19773 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19774 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19776 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19777 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19778 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19779 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19780 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19783 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19784 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19785 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19787 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19788 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19789 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19791 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19792 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19793 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19795 @item gnus-agent-cache
19796 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19797 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19798 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19799 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19801 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19802 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19803 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19804 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19805 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19806 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19807 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19810 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19811 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19812 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19813 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19814 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19815 read. The default is @code{t}.
19817 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19818 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19819 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19820 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19821 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19822 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19823 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19825 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19826 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19827 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19828 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19829 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19830 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19831 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19832 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19833 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19834 over and over again.
19836 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19837 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19838 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19839 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19840 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19841 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19842 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19843 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19844 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19845 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19846 However, all articles parsed prior to losing the connection will be
19847 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19850 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19851 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19852 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19853 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19854 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19855 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19856 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19857 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19858 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19860 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19861 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19862 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19863 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19864 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19865 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19867 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19868 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19869 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19870 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19871 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19873 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19874 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19875 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19876 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19877 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19878 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19880 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19881 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19882 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19883 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19884 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19886 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19887 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19888 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19889 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19890 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19891 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19892 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19893 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19894 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19895 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19896 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19901 @node Example Setup
19902 @subsection Example Setup
19904 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19905 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19906 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19909 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19910 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19911 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19913 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19914 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19915 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19917 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19918 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19920 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19921 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19922 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19925 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19926 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19929 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19930 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19931 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19932 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19933 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19936 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19937 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19938 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19939 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19940 back all the killed groups.)
19942 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19943 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19944 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19947 @node Batching Agents
19948 @subsection Batching Agents
19949 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19951 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19952 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19953 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19955 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19956 following incantation:
19960 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19964 @node Agent Caveats
19965 @subsection Agent Caveats
19967 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19968 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19972 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19974 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19975 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19976 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19978 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19979 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19981 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19985 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19986 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19987 locally stored articles.
19994 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19995 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19996 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19999 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
20000 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
20001 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
20002 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
20003 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
20005 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
20006 before generating the summary buffer.
20008 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
20009 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
20010 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
20012 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
20013 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
20014 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
20015 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
20018 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
20019 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
20020 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
20021 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
20022 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
20023 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
20024 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
20025 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
20026 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
20027 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
20028 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
20029 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
20030 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
20031 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
20032 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
20033 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
20037 @node Summary Score Commands
20038 @section Summary Score Commands
20039 @cindex score commands
20041 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
20042 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
20043 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
20044 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
20045 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
20047 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
20048 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
20049 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
20050 score file the current one.
20052 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
20057 @kindex V s (Summary)
20058 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
20059 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
20062 @kindex V S (Summary)
20063 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
20064 Display the score of the current article
20065 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
20068 @kindex V t (Summary)
20069 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
20070 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
20071 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
20072 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
20073 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
20074 score file and edit it.
20077 @kindex V w (Summary)
20078 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
20079 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
20082 @kindex V R (Summary)
20083 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
20084 Run the current summary through the scoring process
20085 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
20086 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
20087 effect you're having.
20090 @kindex V c (Summary)
20091 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
20092 Make a different score file the current
20093 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
20096 @kindex V e (Summary)
20097 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
20098 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
20099 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
20103 @kindex V f (Summary)
20104 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
20105 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
20106 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
20109 @kindex V F (Summary)
20110 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20111 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
20112 after editing score files.
20115 @kindex V C (Summary)
20116 @findex gnus-score-customize
20117 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
20118 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
20122 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
20127 @kindex V m (Summary)
20128 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
20129 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
20130 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
20133 @kindex V x (Summary)
20134 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
20135 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
20136 expunge all articles below this score
20137 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
20140 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
20141 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
20144 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
20145 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
20149 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
20150 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
20152 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
20153 keys are available:
20157 Score on the author name.
20160 Score on the subject line.
20163 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
20166 Score on the @code{References} line.
20172 Score on the number of lines.
20175 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
20178 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
20179 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
20182 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
20183 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
20184 @file{ADAPT} files.)
20193 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
20199 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
20200 what headers you are scoring on.
20212 Substring matching.
20215 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
20244 Greater than number.
20249 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
20250 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
20251 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
20256 Temporary score entry.
20259 Permanent score entry.
20262 Immediately scoring.
20266 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
20267 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
20268 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
20272 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
20273 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
20274 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
20275 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
20277 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
20278 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
20279 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
20280 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
20281 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
20283 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
20284 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
20285 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
20286 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
20287 current score file.
20289 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
20290 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
20291 pretend they are keymaps or not.
20294 @node Group Score Commands
20295 @section Group Score Commands
20296 @cindex group score commands
20298 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
20303 @kindex W e (Group)
20304 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
20305 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
20306 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
20309 @kindex W f (Group)
20310 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20311 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
20312 all the time. This command will flush the cache
20313 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
20317 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
20319 @findex gnus-batch-score
20320 @cindex batch scoring
20322 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
20326 @node Score Variables
20327 @section Score Variables
20328 @cindex score variables
20332 @item gnus-use-scoring
20333 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
20334 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
20335 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
20337 @item gnus-kill-killed
20338 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
20339 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
20340 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
20341 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
20342 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
20343 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
20344 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
20346 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
20347 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
20348 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
20349 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
20350 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
20352 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
20353 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
20354 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
20355 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
20357 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20358 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20359 @cindex score cache
20360 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
20361 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
20362 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
20363 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
20364 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
20365 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
20366 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
20369 @item gnus-save-score
20370 @vindex gnus-save-score
20371 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
20372 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
20373 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
20375 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
20376 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
20377 across group visits.
20379 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20380 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20381 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
20382 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
20383 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
20384 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
20385 manually entered data.
20387 @item gnus-summary-default-score
20388 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
20389 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
20391 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
20392 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
20393 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
20394 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
20395 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
20396 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
20398 @item gnus-score-over-mark
20399 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
20400 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
20401 default. Default is @samp{+}.
20403 @item gnus-score-below-mark
20404 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
20405 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
20406 default. Default is @samp{-}.
20408 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20409 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20410 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
20411 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
20413 Predefined functions available are:
20416 @item gnus-score-find-single
20417 @findex gnus-score-find-single
20418 Only apply the group's own score file.
20420 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
20421 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
20422 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
20423 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
20424 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
20425 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
20426 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
20427 then a regexp match is done.
20429 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
20430 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
20432 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
20433 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
20434 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
20435 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
20437 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20438 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20439 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
20440 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
20441 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
20445 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
20446 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
20447 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
20448 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
20449 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
20450 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
20451 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
20454 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
20455 overall score file, you could use the value
20457 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
20458 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
20461 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
20462 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
20463 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
20464 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
20465 are expired. It's 7 by default.
20467 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20468 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20469 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
20470 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
20471 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
20472 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
20473 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
20474 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20476 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20477 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20478 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20480 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20481 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20482 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20483 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20484 threading---according to the current value of
20485 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20486 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20487 simplified in this manner.
20492 @node Score File Format
20493 @section Score File Format
20494 @cindex score file format
20496 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20497 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20498 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20500 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20504 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20506 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20508 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20510 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20515 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20519 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20520 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20521 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20522 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20526 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20527 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20529 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20530 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20531 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20533 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20538 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20539 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20540 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20541 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20542 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20543 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20544 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20545 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20546 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20547 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20548 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20549 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20550 to articles that matches these score entries.
20552 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20553 score entry has one to four elements.
20557 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20558 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20562 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20563 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20564 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20565 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20566 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20567 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20570 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20571 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20572 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20573 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20574 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20577 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20578 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20579 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20580 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20583 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20584 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20585 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20586 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20587 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20588 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20589 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20590 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20591 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20592 instead, if you feel like.
20595 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20596 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20597 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20598 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20599 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20600 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20604 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20605 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20609 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20610 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20612 These predicates are true if
20615 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20618 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20619 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20626 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20627 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20628 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20629 it's not. I think.)
20631 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20632 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20633 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20634 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20637 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20638 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20639 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20640 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20641 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20642 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20643 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20647 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20648 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20649 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20650 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20651 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20652 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20653 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20654 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20657 @item Head, Body, All
20658 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20662 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20663 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20664 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20665 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20666 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20667 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20668 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20672 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20673 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20674 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20675 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20676 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20677 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20678 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20679 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20680 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20681 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20682 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20686 @cindex score file atoms
20688 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20689 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20692 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20693 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20695 @item mark-and-expunge
20696 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20697 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20700 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20701 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20702 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20703 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20704 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20707 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20708 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20711 @item exclude-files
20712 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20713 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20717 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
20718 ignored when handling global score files.
20721 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20722 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20723 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20724 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20727 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20728 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20729 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20730 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20732 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20736 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20739 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20740 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20741 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
20742 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20743 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20745 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20746 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20747 scoring rules exist.
20750 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20751 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20752 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20753 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20754 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20755 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20756 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20757 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20758 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20759 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20760 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20764 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20765 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20766 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20767 file for a number of groups.
20770 @cindex local variables
20771 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20772 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20773 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20774 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20775 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20780 @node Score File Editing
20781 @section Score File Editing
20783 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20784 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20785 with a mode for that.
20787 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20788 additional commands:
20793 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20794 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
20795 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20796 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
20799 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20800 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20801 Insert the current date in numerical format
20802 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20803 you were wondering.
20806 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20807 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20808 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20809 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20810 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20815 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20817 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20818 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20820 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20821 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20824 @node Adaptive Scoring
20825 @section Adaptive Scoring
20826 @cindex adaptive scoring
20828 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20829 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20830 stupidity, to be precise.
20832 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20833 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20834 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20835 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20836 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20837 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20838 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20839 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20840 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20842 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20843 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20844 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20845 might look something like this:
20848 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20849 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20850 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20851 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20852 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20853 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20854 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20855 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20856 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20857 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20858 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20859 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20862 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20863 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20864 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20865 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20866 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20867 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20870 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20871 will be applied to each article.
20873 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20874 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20875 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20876 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20878 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20879 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20880 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20881 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20883 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20884 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20885 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20886 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20888 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20889 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20890 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20891 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20892 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20893 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20895 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20896 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20897 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20899 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20900 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20901 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20903 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20904 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20905 let you use different rules in different groups.
20907 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20908 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20909 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20912 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20913 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20914 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20915 default) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20917 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20918 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20919 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20920 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20921 the length of the match is less than
20922 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20923 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20926 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20927 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20928 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20929 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20930 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20933 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20934 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20935 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20936 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20937 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20940 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20941 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20942 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20943 score with 30 points.
20945 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20946 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20947 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20948 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20949 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20951 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20952 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20953 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20954 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20955 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20957 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20958 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20959 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20960 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20962 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20963 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20964 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20965 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20967 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20968 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20969 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20970 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20971 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20973 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20974 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20975 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20977 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20978 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20979 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20980 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20983 @node Home Score File
20984 @section Home Score File
20986 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20987 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20988 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20989 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20991 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20992 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20993 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20995 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20996 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
21001 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
21005 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
21006 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
21010 A list. The elements in this list can be:
21014 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
21015 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
21018 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
21019 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
21020 name of the group as the parameter.
21023 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
21026 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
21031 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
21034 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21035 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
21038 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
21039 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
21041 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
21043 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21044 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
21047 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
21048 Other functions include
21051 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
21052 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
21053 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
21054 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
21058 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
21059 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
21060 their own home score files:
21063 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21064 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
21065 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
21066 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
21067 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
21070 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
21071 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
21072 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
21073 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
21074 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
21076 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
21077 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
21078 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
21079 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
21080 precedence over this variable.
21083 @node Followups To Yourself
21084 @section Followups To Yourself
21086 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
21087 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
21088 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
21089 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
21090 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
21091 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
21095 @item gnus-score-followup-article
21096 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
21097 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
21100 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
21101 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
21102 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
21106 @vindex message-sent-hook
21107 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
21108 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
21110 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
21114 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
21115 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
21119 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21120 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21123 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
21124 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
21129 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
21133 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
21134 is system-dependent.
21137 @node Scoring On Other Headers
21138 @section Scoring On Other Headers
21139 @cindex scoring on other headers
21141 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
21142 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
21143 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
21144 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
21145 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
21147 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
21148 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
21149 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
21150 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
21151 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
21152 inhibited for all groups.
21154 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
21155 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
21156 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
21157 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
21158 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
21160 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21163 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
21164 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
21167 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
21168 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
21169 time if you have much mail.
21171 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
21172 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
21178 @section Scoring Tips
21179 @cindex scoring tips
21185 @cindex scoring crossposts
21186 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
21187 the @code{Xref} header.
21189 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
21192 @item Multiple crossposts
21193 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
21194 more than, say, 3 groups:
21197 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
21201 @item Matching on the body
21202 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
21203 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
21204 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
21205 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
21206 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
21207 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
21208 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
21211 @item Marking as read
21212 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
21213 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
21214 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
21218 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
21220 @item Negated character classes
21221 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
21222 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
21223 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
21227 @node Reverse Scoring
21228 @section Reverse Scoring
21229 @cindex reverse scoring
21231 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
21232 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
21233 like this in your score file:
21237 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
21242 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
21243 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
21246 @node Global Score Files
21247 @section Global Score Files
21248 @cindex global score files
21250 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
21251 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
21252 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
21254 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
21255 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
21256 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
21258 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
21259 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
21260 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
21261 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
21262 files are applicable to which group.
21264 To use the score file
21265 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
21266 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
21270 (setq gnus-global-score-files
21271 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
21272 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
21275 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
21277 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
21278 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
21279 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
21280 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
21282 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
21283 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
21285 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
21286 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
21287 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
21288 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
21289 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
21290 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
21292 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
21298 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
21300 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
21302 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
21304 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
21305 lowered out of existence.
21307 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
21308 articles completely.
21311 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
21312 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
21313 old articles for a long time.
21316 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
21317 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
21318 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
21319 holding our breath yet?
21323 @section Kill Files
21326 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
21327 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
21328 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
21330 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
21331 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
21332 files into score files.
21334 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
21335 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
21336 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
21337 that isn't a very good idea.
21339 Normal kill files look like this:
21342 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21343 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
21347 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
21348 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
21350 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
21351 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
21354 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
21359 @kindex M-k (Summary)
21360 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
21361 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
21364 @kindex M-K (Summary)
21365 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
21366 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
21369 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
21374 @kindex M-k (Group)
21375 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
21376 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
21379 @kindex M-K (Group)
21380 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
21381 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
21384 Kill file variables:
21387 @item gnus-kill-file-name
21388 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
21389 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
21390 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
21391 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
21392 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
21393 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
21395 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21396 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21397 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
21398 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
21401 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
21402 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
21403 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
21404 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
21405 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
21406 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
21407 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
21408 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
21409 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
21411 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21412 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21413 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
21418 @node Converting Kill Files
21419 @section Converting Kill Files
21421 @cindex converting kill files
21423 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
21424 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
21425 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
21428 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
21429 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
21431 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
21433 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
21434 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
21435 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
21439 @node Advanced Scoring
21440 @section Advanced Scoring
21442 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
21443 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
21444 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
21445 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
21446 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
21448 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
21452 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
21453 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
21454 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
21458 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
21459 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
21461 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
21462 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
21463 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
21464 non-@code{nil} value.
21466 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
21467 operator, and various match operators.
21474 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21475 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
21476 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
21481 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21482 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21483 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21488 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21489 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21493 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21494 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21495 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21496 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21497 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21498 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21499 the ancestry you want to go.
21501 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21502 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21503 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21504 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21505 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21508 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21509 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21511 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21512 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21515 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21516 when he's talking about Gnus:
21521 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21522 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21529 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21533 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21540 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21541 really don't want to read what he's written:
21545 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21546 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
21550 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21551 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21552 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21559 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21560 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21561 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21562 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21566 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21567 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21568 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21569 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21572 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21574 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21578 The possibilities are endless.
21580 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21581 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21583 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21584 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21585 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21586 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21587 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21588 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21589 @samp{subject}) first.
21591 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21592 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21603 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21604 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21610 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21617 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21618 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21623 @section Score Decays
21624 @cindex score decays
21627 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21628 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21629 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21630 use them in any sensible way.
21632 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21633 @findex gnus-decay-score
21634 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21635 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21636 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21637 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21638 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21639 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21640 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21641 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21642 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21643 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21647 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21648 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21649 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21651 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21653 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21655 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21656 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21657 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21658 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21659 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21661 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21665 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21666 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21667 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21668 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21672 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21675 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21678 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21682 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21683 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21684 the new score, which should be an integer.
21686 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21687 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21692 @include message.texi
21693 @chapter Emacs MIME
21694 @include emacs-mime.texi
21696 @include sieve.texi
21708 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21709 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21710 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21711 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21712 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21713 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21714 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21715 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21716 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21717 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21718 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21719 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21720 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21721 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21722 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21723 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21724 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
21725 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
21726 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
21727 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21728 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21732 @node Process/Prefix
21733 @section Process/Prefix
21734 @cindex process/prefix convention
21736 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21737 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21739 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21740 command to be performed on.
21744 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21745 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21746 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21747 with the current one.
21749 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21750 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21751 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21753 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21754 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21757 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21758 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21760 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21763 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21764 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21765 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21766 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21768 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21769 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21770 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21771 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21772 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21773 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21774 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21775 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21777 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21778 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21779 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21780 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21781 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21785 @section Interactive
21786 @cindex interaction
21790 @item gnus-novice-user
21791 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21792 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21793 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21794 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21795 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21798 @item gnus-expert-user
21799 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21800 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21801 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing,
21802 no matter how strange. For example, quitting Gnus, exiting a group
21803 without an update, catching up with a group, deleting expired
21804 articles, and replying by mail to a news message will not require
21807 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21808 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21809 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21810 is @code{t} by default.
21812 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21813 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21814 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21819 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21820 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21821 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21823 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21824 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21825 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21826 rule of 900 to the current article.
21828 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21829 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21830 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21831 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21832 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21833 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21834 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21836 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21837 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21838 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21839 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21840 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21841 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21842 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21843 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21844 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21846 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21847 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21848 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21850 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21854 @node Formatting Variables
21855 @section Formatting Variables
21856 @cindex formatting variables
21858 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21859 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21860 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21861 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21862 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21865 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21866 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21867 lots of percentages everywhere.
21870 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21871 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21872 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21873 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21874 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21875 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21876 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21877 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21880 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21881 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21882 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21883 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21884 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21885 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21886 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21887 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21889 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21890 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21892 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21893 @findex gnus-update-format
21894 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21895 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21896 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21897 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21901 @node Formatting Basics
21902 @subsection Formatting Basics
21904 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21905 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21906 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21908 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21909 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21910 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21911 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21912 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21915 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21916 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21917 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21918 less than 4 characters wide.
21920 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21921 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21924 @node Mode Line Formatting
21925 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21927 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21928 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21929 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21930 with the following two differences:
21935 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21938 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21939 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21940 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21941 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21942 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21943 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21944 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21949 @node Advanced Formatting
21950 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21952 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21953 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21954 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21955 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21957 These are the valid modifiers:
21962 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21966 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21971 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21974 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21979 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21982 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21985 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21988 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21994 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21999 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22000 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22001 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22002 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22003 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22004 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22005 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22007 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22008 last operation, padding.
22010 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
22011 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
22012 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
22013 @xref{Compilation}.
22016 @node User-Defined Specs
22017 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22019 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22020 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22021 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22022 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22023 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22024 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22025 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22026 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
22027 should protect against that.
22029 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
22030 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
22032 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
22033 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
22034 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
22035 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
22039 @node Formatting Fonts
22040 @subsection Formatting Fonts
22043 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22044 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
22045 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
22046 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
22047 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
22051 @vindex gnus-face-0
22052 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
22053 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
22054 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
22055 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
22056 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
22057 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
22059 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
22060 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
22061 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
22062 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
22063 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
22064 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
22065 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
22066 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
22067 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
22068 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
22069 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
22070 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
22071 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
22072 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22075 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22078 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22079 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22080 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22082 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22083 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22084 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22085 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22086 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22087 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22088 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22090 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22091 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22092 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22095 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22096 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22098 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22099 mode-line variables.
22101 @node Positioning Point
22102 @subsection Positioning Point
22104 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22105 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22106 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22108 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22110 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22111 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22112 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22114 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22115 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22116 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22121 @subsection Tabulation
22123 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22124 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22125 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22126 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22128 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22129 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22131 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22132 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22133 This is the soft tabulator.
22135 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22136 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22137 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22140 @node Wide Characters
22141 @subsection Wide Characters
22143 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22144 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22145 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22147 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22148 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22149 these countries, that's not true.
22151 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22152 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22153 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22154 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22158 @node Window Layout
22159 @section Window Layout
22160 @cindex window layout
22162 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22164 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22165 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22166 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22167 @code{t} by default.
22169 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22170 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22172 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22173 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22174 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22177 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)))
22178 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22182 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22183 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22184 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22185 possible names is listed below.
22187 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22188 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
22191 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22195 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22196 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22197 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22198 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22199 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22200 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22201 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22202 size spec per split.
22204 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22205 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22206 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
22207 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22208 present) gets focus.
22210 Here's a more complicated example:
22213 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22214 (summary 0.25 point)
22218 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22219 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22220 occupy, not a percentage.
22222 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22223 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22224 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22225 be used as a split.
22227 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22230 (article (horizontal 1.0
22234 (summary 0.25 point)
22238 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22239 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22241 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22242 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22243 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22244 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22245 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22247 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22248 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22249 lines from the splits.
22251 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22256 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22257 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22258 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22259 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22260 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22261 size = number | frame-params
22262 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22266 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22267 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22268 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22269 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22271 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22272 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22273 @cindex window height
22274 @cindex window width
22275 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22276 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22277 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22278 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22279 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22280 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22282 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22283 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22284 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22285 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22287 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22288 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22289 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22290 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22291 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22292 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22293 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22294 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22295 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22296 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22297 configuration list.
22300 (gnus-configure-frame
22304 (article 0.3 point))
22312 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22313 @code{frame} split:
22316 (gnus-configure-frame
22319 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22321 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22322 (user-position . t)
22323 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22328 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22329 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22330 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22331 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22332 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22333 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
22334 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
22335 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
22337 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
22338 be found in its default value.
22340 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
22341 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
22342 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
22346 (message (horizontal 1.0
22347 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
22349 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
22354 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
22355 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
22356 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
22361 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
22362 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
22363 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
22364 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
22365 (name . "Message"))
22366 (message 1.0 point))))
22369 @findex gnus-add-configuration
22370 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
22371 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
22372 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
22373 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
22376 (gnus-add-configuration
22377 '(article (vertical 1.0
22379 (summary .25 point)
22383 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
22384 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
22385 Gnus has been loaded.
22387 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
22388 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
22389 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
22390 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
22391 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
22393 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
22394 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
22395 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
22398 @subsection Example Window Configurations
22402 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
22403 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22418 (gnus-add-configuration
22421 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22423 (summary 0.16 point)
22426 (gnus-add-configuration
22429 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22430 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22436 @node Faces and Fonts
22437 @section Faces and Fonts
22442 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22443 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22444 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22449 @section Compilation
22450 @cindex compilation
22451 @cindex byte-compilation
22453 @findex gnus-compile
22455 Remember all those line format specification variables?
22456 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
22457 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
22458 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
22459 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
22460 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
22463 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
22464 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
22465 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
22466 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
22467 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
22468 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
22469 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
22473 @section Mode Lines
22476 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22477 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22478 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22479 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22480 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22481 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22482 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22485 @cindex display-time
22487 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22488 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22489 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22490 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22491 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22492 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22493 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22494 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22497 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22499 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22500 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22502 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22503 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22504 (length display-time-string)))))
22507 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22508 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22509 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22510 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22511 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22514 @node Highlighting and Menus
22515 @section Highlighting and Menus
22517 @cindex highlighting
22520 @vindex gnus-visual
22521 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22522 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22523 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22526 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22527 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22530 @item group-highlight
22531 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22532 @item summary-highlight
22533 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22534 @item article-highlight
22535 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22537 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22539 Create menus in the group buffer.
22541 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22543 Create menus in the article buffer.
22545 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22547 Create menus in the server buffer.
22549 Create menus in the score buffers.
22551 Create menus in all buffers.
22554 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22555 buffers, you could say something like:
22558 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22561 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22564 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22567 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22568 in all Gnus buffers.
22570 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22573 @item gnus-mouse-face
22574 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22575 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22576 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22580 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22584 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22585 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22586 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22588 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22589 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22590 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22592 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22593 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22594 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22596 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22597 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22598 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22600 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22601 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22602 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22604 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22605 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22606 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22616 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22617 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22618 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22619 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22620 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22622 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22623 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22624 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22626 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22627 been idle for thirty minutes:
22630 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22633 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22637 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22640 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22641 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22642 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22644 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22645 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22646 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22647 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22649 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22650 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22651 @var{idle} minutes.
22653 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22654 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22657 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22658 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22659 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22661 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22662 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22663 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22664 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22666 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22667 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22669 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22671 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22674 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22675 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22676 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22677 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22678 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22679 @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22680 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22681 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22682 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22683 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22685 @findex gnus-demon-init
22686 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22687 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22688 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22689 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22690 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22692 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22693 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22694 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22702 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22703 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22704 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22706 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22707 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22708 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22709 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22710 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22711 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22712 @code{undo} function.
22714 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22715 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22716 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22717 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22718 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22719 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22720 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22721 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22722 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22723 never be totally undoable.
22725 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22726 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22728 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22729 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22730 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22731 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22735 @node Predicate Specifiers
22736 @section Predicate Specifiers
22737 @cindex predicate specifiers
22739 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22740 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22741 to type all that much.
22743 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22748 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22749 gnus-article-unread-p)
22752 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22753 functions all take one parameter.
22755 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22756 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22757 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22758 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22763 @section Moderation
22766 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22767 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22768 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22771 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22775 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22778 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22780 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22785 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22786 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22787 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22790 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22791 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22794 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22795 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22799 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22802 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22803 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22807 @node Fetching a Group
22808 @section Fetching a Group
22809 @cindex fetching a group
22811 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22812 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22813 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22814 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22815 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22816 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22819 @node Image Enhancements
22820 @section Image Enhancements
22822 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22823 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
22824 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
22827 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22828 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22829 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22830 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22831 * Gravatars:: Display the avatar of people you read.
22832 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22840 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22841 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22842 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22846 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22847 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22848 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22856 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22857 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
22858 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
22859 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
22860 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
22861 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
22862 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
22863 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
22864 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
22865 @code{display} program.
22867 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
22868 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
22869 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
22870 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
22871 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
22872 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
22873 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
22874 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
22876 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
22877 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
22878 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
22879 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
22880 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
22881 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
22883 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
22891 @vindex gnus-x-face
22892 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
22893 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
22894 default colors are black and white.
22896 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
22897 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
22898 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
22899 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
22900 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
22901 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22904 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22905 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22906 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22907 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22909 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22910 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22911 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22912 (png . (:relief -2))))
22915 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22916 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22917 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22918 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22919 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22920 @samp{libcompface} library.
22923 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
22924 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
22925 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
22926 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
22927 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
22928 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
22930 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22931 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22932 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22933 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22934 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22935 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22936 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22937 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22938 header data as a string.
22940 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22941 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22942 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22943 randomly generated data.
22945 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22946 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22947 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22948 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22949 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22951 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22952 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22955 (setq message-required-news-headers
22956 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22957 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22960 Using the last function would be something like this:
22963 (setq message-required-news-headers
22964 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22965 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22966 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22967 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22975 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
22977 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22978 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22979 represent the author of the message.
22982 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22983 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22984 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22987 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22988 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22990 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
22993 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
22995 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
22997 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22998 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23000 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23001 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23002 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23004 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23005 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23006 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23007 converts the file to Face format by using the
23008 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23010 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23011 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23014 (setq message-required-news-headers
23015 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23016 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23017 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23022 @subsection Smileys
23027 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23032 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23033 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23035 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23036 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23039 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23042 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23043 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23044 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23045 text and maps that to file names.
23047 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23048 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23049 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23050 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23051 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23054 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
23059 @vindex smiley-style
23060 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
23061 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
23062 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
23063 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
23066 @item smiley-data-directory
23067 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23068 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
23069 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
23071 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23072 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23073 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23087 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23088 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23089 over your shoulder as you read news.
23091 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23100 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23101 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23102 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23103 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23104 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23105 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23106 @code{GIF} formats.
23109 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23110 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23111 point your Web browser at
23112 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23114 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23115 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23117 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23118 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23121 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23122 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23123 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23124 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23126 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23130 @item gnus-picon-databases
23131 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23132 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
23133 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
23134 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
23135 "/usr/local/faces")}.
23137 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
23138 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
23139 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23140 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
23142 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
23143 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
23144 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
23145 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
23147 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
23148 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
23149 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23150 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
23151 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
23153 @item gnus-picon-file-types
23154 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
23155 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
23156 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
23158 @item gnus-picon-inhibit-top-level-domains
23159 @vindex gnus-picon-inhibit-top-level-domains
23160 If non-@code{nil} (which is the default), don't display picons for
23161 things like @samp{.net} and @samp{.de}, which aren't usually very
23167 @subsection Gravatars
23171 \include{gravatars}
23175 A gravatar is an image registered to an e-mail address.
23177 You can submit yours on-line at @uref{http://www.gravatar.com}.
23179 The following variables offer control over how things are displayed.
23183 @item gnus-gravatar-size
23184 @vindex gnus-gravatar-size
23185 The size in pixels of gravatars. Gravatars are always square, so one
23186 number for the size is enough.
23188 @item gnus-gravatar-properties
23189 @vindex gnus-gravatar-properties
23190 List of image properties applied to Gravatar images.
23192 @item gnus-gravatar-too-ugly
23193 @vindex gnus-gravatar-too-ugly
23194 Regexp that matches mail addresses or names of people of which avatars
23195 should not be displayed, or @code{nil}. It default to the value of
23196 @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (@pxref{X-Face}).
23200 If you want to see them in the From field, set:
23202 (setq gnus-treat-from-gravatar 'head)
23205 If you want to see them in the Cc and To fields, set:
23208 (setq gnus-treat-mail-gravatar 'head)
23213 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
23216 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23217 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23218 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
23219 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
23220 unusual directory structure.
23222 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23223 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23224 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
23229 @subsubsection Toolbar
23233 @item gnus-use-toolbar
23234 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
23235 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
23236 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
23237 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
23238 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
23239 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
23240 names show. The default is @code{default}.
23242 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
23243 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
23244 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
23245 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
23246 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
23247 The default is that of the default toolbar.
23249 @item gnus-group-toolbar
23250 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
23251 The toolbar in the group buffer.
23253 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
23254 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
23255 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
23257 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23258 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23259 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
23270 @node Fuzzy Matching
23271 @section Fuzzy Matching
23272 @cindex fuzzy matching
23274 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
23275 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
23277 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
23278 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
23279 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23281 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23282 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23283 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23284 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23285 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23288 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23289 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23293 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23295 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23296 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23297 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23298 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23299 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23300 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23301 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23302 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23305 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23306 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23307 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23308 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23309 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23310 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23312 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23315 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23316 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23317 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23318 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23321 @node The problem of spam
23322 @subsection The problem of spam
23324 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23325 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23327 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23329 First, some background on spam.
23331 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23332 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23333 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23334 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23335 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23336 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23337 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23338 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23339 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23341 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23342 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23343 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23344 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23345 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23346 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23347 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23348 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23349 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23352 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23353 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23354 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23355 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23356 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23357 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23358 from Bulgarian IPs.
23360 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23361 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23362 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23363 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23365 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23366 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23367 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23368 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23370 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23371 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23372 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23373 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23374 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23375 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23376 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23377 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23378 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23380 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23381 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23382 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23383 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23384 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23385 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23386 down for some time because of the incident.
23388 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23389 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23390 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23391 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23392 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23393 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23394 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23395 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
23396 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23397 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23398 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23400 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23401 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23402 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23403 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23404 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23405 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23406 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23409 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23410 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23414 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23416 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23417 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23419 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23420 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23421 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23422 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23423 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23424 part of the mail address.)
23427 (setq message-default-news-headers
23428 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23431 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23432 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23436 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23437 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23438 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23443 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23444 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23445 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23446 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23448 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23449 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23450 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23451 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23452 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23453 your fancy split rule in this way:
23458 (to "larsi" "misc")
23462 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23463 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23464 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23465 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23466 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23468 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23469 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23470 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23471 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23473 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23477 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23478 @cindex SpamAssassin
23479 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23482 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23483 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23484 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23485 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23486 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23487 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23488 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23490 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23491 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23492 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23495 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23496 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23497 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23498 Specifiers}) follow.
23502 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23506 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23509 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23510 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23511 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23514 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23518 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23521 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23522 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23526 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23527 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23528 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23529 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23532 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23534 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23538 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23539 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23543 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23544 downloaded by default. You need to set
23545 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23546 (@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
23548 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23549 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23550 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23553 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23554 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23556 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
23557 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23561 @subsection Hashcash
23564 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23565 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23566 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23567 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23568 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23570 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23571 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23572 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23573 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23574 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23575 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23576 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23577 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23578 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23579 one of them separately.
23582 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23583 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23584 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23585 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23586 need to install to use this feature, see
23587 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23588 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23590 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23591 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23592 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23595 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23598 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23602 @item hashcash-default-payment
23603 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23604 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23605 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23608 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23609 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23610 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23611 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23612 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23613 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23614 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23615 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23616 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23618 @item hashcash-path
23619 @vindex hashcash-path
23620 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23621 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23622 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23623 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23624 when you generate hashcash payments.
23628 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23629 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23630 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23631 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23632 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23633 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23634 Hashcash Payments}).
23637 @section Spam Package
23638 @cindex spam filtering
23641 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
23642 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
23643 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
23644 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
23647 * Spam Package Introduction::
23648 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
23649 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
23650 * Spam and Ham Processors::
23651 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
23653 * Extending the Spam package::
23654 * Spam Statistics Package::
23657 @node Spam Package Introduction
23658 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
23659 @cindex spam filtering
23660 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23663 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
23664 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23666 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23667 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
23669 @cindex spam-initialize
23670 @vindex spam-use-stat
23671 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
23672 @code{spam-initialize}:
23678 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
23679 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
23680 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
23681 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
23682 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
23684 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
23685 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
23687 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
23688 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
23690 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
23691 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
23692 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
23693 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
23694 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
23696 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
23697 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
23698 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
23699 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
23700 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
23703 @cindex spam back ends
23704 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
23705 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
23706 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
23707 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
23708 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
23710 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
23711 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
23713 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
23714 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
23715 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
23716 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
23717 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
23718 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
23719 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
23721 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
23722 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
23723 point, the Spam package does several things:
23725 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
23726 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
23727 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
23728 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
23729 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
23730 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
23731 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
23732 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
23735 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
23736 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
23744 @kindex $ (Summary)
23745 @kindex M-d (Summary)
23746 @kindex S x (Summary)
23747 @kindex M s x (Summary)
23748 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23749 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23750 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
23751 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
23755 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
23756 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
23758 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
23759 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
23760 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
23761 to be processed as ham by setting
23762 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23763 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
23765 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23766 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23767 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
23768 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
23769 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
23770 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
23771 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
23772 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
23773 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
23774 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
23775 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
23776 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
23778 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
23779 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
23780 want each article to be processed only once, load the
23781 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
23782 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
23783 Configuration Examples}.
23785 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
23786 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
23787 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
23788 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
23790 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
23791 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23793 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23794 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23795 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23797 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
23798 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
23799 @cindex spam filtering
23800 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23803 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
23804 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
23805 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
23806 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23807 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
23813 @vindex spam-split-group
23815 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
23816 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
23817 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
23818 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
23819 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
23820 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
23821 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
23822 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
23823 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
23825 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
23827 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
23828 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
23829 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
23830 you should also set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to
23831 @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can ``scan''
23832 the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only retrieves
23833 the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells it to
23834 retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by default
23835 because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
23836 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Client-Side
23839 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
23840 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
23841 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
23842 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
23843 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
23844 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
23845 ends, and the following split rule:
23848 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23849 (any "ding" "ding")
23851 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23856 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
23857 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
23858 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
23859 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
23860 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
23861 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23863 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
23864 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
23865 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
23866 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
23871 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23872 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23873 (any "ding" "ding")
23874 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23876 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23881 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23882 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
23883 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23884 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23885 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23886 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23887 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23889 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
23890 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
23891 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
23892 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
23894 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
23895 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
23898 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
23899 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
23901 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
23902 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
23903 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
23904 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23906 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
23907 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
23908 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
23909 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
23911 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
23912 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
23913 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
23915 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
23916 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
23917 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
23918 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
23919 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
23920 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
23921 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
23923 @node Spam and Ham Processors
23924 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
23925 @cindex spam filtering
23926 @cindex spam filtering variables
23927 @cindex spam variables
23930 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23931 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
23932 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
23933 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
23934 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
23935 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
23936 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
23938 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
23939 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
23940 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
23941 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
23943 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23944 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
23945 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
23946 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
23947 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
23948 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
23949 by customizing the corresponding variable
23950 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
23951 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
23952 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
23953 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
23954 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
23955 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
23956 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
23959 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23961 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23962 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23963 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23964 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23965 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23966 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23967 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23968 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23969 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23970 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23971 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23972 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23973 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23975 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23976 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23977 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23978 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23979 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23980 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23981 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23982 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23985 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23986 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23987 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23988 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23989 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23990 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23991 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23996 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23997 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23998 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23999 you really want to.
24002 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24003 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24004 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24005 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24006 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24007 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24010 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24011 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24012 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24013 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24014 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24015 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24016 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24017 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24018 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24019 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24020 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24021 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24022 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24023 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24024 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24026 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24027 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24029 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24030 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24031 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24033 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24034 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24036 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24037 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24038 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24039 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24040 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24042 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24043 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24044 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24045 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24046 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24049 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24050 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24051 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24052 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24053 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24054 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24055 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24056 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24057 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24058 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24059 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24060 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24061 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24063 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24064 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24066 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24067 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24070 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24071 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24072 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24073 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24074 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24075 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24076 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24078 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24079 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24080 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24081 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24083 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24084 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24085 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24086 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24087 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24088 from the mail server.
24090 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24091 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24092 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24093 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24095 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24096 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24097 @cindex spam filtering
24098 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24099 @cindex spam configuration examples
24102 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24104 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24106 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24107 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24108 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24112 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24114 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24115 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24116 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24117 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24118 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24119 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24120 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24121 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24122 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24123 ;; @r{for nnimap you'll probably want to set nnimap-split-methods, see the manual}
24124 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24125 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24126 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24127 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24128 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24129 (any "ding" "ding")
24130 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24132 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24135 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24137 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24138 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24139 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24140 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24142 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24144 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24145 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24146 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24147 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24148 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24150 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24151 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24153 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24155 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24156 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24158 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24159 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24160 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24162 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24164 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24165 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24167 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24168 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24169 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24171 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24172 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24173 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24174 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24176 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24177 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24178 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24182 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24183 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24185 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
24186 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
24187 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
24188 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
24189 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
24190 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
24191 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
24192 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
24193 @samp{training.spam} folders.
24195 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
24196 does most of the job for me:
24199 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
24200 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
24201 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
24202 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24203 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
24204 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
24205 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
24210 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
24212 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
24213 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
24214 bogofilter or DCC).
24216 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
24217 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
24218 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
24219 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
24220 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
24221 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
24222 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
24224 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
24225 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
24226 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
24227 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
24228 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
24229 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
24231 @item @b{Ham folders:}
24233 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
24234 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
24235 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
24236 @samp{training.spam}.
24239 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
24241 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24243 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
24244 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
24245 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
24249 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
24252 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
24253 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
24254 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
24255 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
24256 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
24258 @node Spam Back Ends
24259 @subsection Spam Back Ends
24260 @cindex spam back ends
24262 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
24263 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
24264 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
24265 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
24269 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
24270 * BBDB Whitelists::
24271 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
24272 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
24274 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
24276 * SpamAssassin back end::
24277 * ifile spam filtering::
24278 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24282 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24283 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24284 @cindex spam filtering
24285 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24286 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24289 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24291 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24292 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24293 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24294 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24299 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24301 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24302 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24303 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24304 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24305 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24309 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24311 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24312 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24313 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24317 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24319 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24320 customizing the group parameters or the
24321 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24322 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24323 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24327 Instead of the obsolete
24328 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24329 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24330 the same way, we promise.
24334 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24336 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24337 customizing the group parameters or the
24338 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24339 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24340 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24345 Instead of the obsolete
24346 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24347 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24348 the same way, we promise.
24352 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24353 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24354 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24355 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24356 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24358 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24359 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24360 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24361 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24363 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24364 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24365 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24366 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24367 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24368 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24370 @node BBDB Whitelists
24371 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24372 @cindex spam filtering
24373 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24374 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24377 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24379 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24380 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24381 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24382 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24383 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24384 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24385 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24389 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24391 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24392 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24393 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24394 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24395 classified as spammers.
24397 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24398 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24399 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24400 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24405 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24407 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24408 customizing the group parameters or the
24409 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24410 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24411 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24416 Instead of the obsolete
24417 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24418 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24419 the same way, we promise.
24423 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24424 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24425 @cindex spam reporting
24426 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24427 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24430 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24432 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24433 customizing the group parameters or the
24434 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24435 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24436 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24439 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24443 Instead of the obsolete
24444 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24445 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24446 same way, we promise.
24450 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24452 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24453 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24454 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24455 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24456 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24460 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24462 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24463 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24464 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24468 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24469 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24470 @cindex spam filtering
24471 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24474 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24476 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24477 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24478 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24479 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24480 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24481 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24486 @subsubsection Blackholes
24487 @cindex spam filtering
24488 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24491 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24493 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24494 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24495 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24496 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24497 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24498 contains outdated servers.
24500 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24501 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24502 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24503 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24504 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24505 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24509 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24511 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24515 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24517 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24518 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24522 @defvar spam-use-dig
24524 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24525 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24529 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24530 ham processor for blackholes.
24532 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24533 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24534 @cindex spam filtering
24535 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24538 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24540 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24541 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24542 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24543 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24544 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24545 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24549 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24551 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24552 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24556 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24558 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24559 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24563 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24564 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24567 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24568 @cindex spam filtering
24569 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24572 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24574 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24577 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24578 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24579 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24580 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24581 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24582 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24584 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24585 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24588 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24589 processing will be turned off.
24591 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24600 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
24601 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
24604 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24606 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24607 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24608 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24609 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24610 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24611 installation documents for details.
24613 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24617 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24618 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24619 customizing the group parameters or the
24620 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24621 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24622 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24626 Instead of the obsolete
24627 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24628 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24629 the same way, we promise.
24632 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24633 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24634 customizing the group parameters or the
24635 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24636 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24637 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24638 of non-spam messages.
24642 Instead of the obsolete
24643 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24644 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24645 the same way, we promise.
24648 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24650 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24651 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24652 database directory.
24656 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24657 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24658 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24659 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24660 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24661 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24663 @node SpamAssassin back end
24664 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24665 @cindex spam filtering
24666 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24669 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24671 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24673 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24674 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24675 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24676 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24679 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24680 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24681 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24682 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24685 You should not enable this if you use
24686 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24690 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24692 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24693 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24695 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24699 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
24701 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24702 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24703 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24704 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24708 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24709 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24710 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24711 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24712 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24713 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24714 to test this functionality.
24716 @node ifile spam filtering
24717 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24718 @cindex spam filtering
24719 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24722 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24724 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24725 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24729 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24731 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24732 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24733 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24737 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24739 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24740 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24741 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24744 @defvar spam-ifile-database
24746 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24747 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24751 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24752 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24753 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24754 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24757 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
24758 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
24759 @cindex spam filtering
24760 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24764 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
24765 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
24766 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
24767 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
24768 spam-stat dictionary}.
24770 @defvar spam-use-stat
24774 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24775 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24776 customizing the group parameters or the
24777 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24778 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24779 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24783 Instead of the obsolete
24784 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24785 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24786 the same way, we promise.
24789 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24790 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24791 customizing the group parameters or the
24792 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24793 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24794 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24795 of non-spam messages.
24799 Instead of the obsolete
24800 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24801 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24802 the same way, we promise.
24805 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24806 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24807 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24808 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24809 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24812 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24813 @cindex spam filtering
24817 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24818 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24819 installed separately.
24821 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24822 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24823 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24824 mail as a spam mail or not.
24826 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24827 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24828 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24830 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
24833 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24834 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24835 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24836 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
24837 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
24838 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
24839 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
24840 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
24843 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24844 spam-split-group "Junk"
24845 ;; @r{for nnimap you'll probably want to set nnimap-split-methods, see the manual}
24846 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24847 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24850 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24851 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24855 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24856 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24857 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24861 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24862 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24863 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
24864 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24865 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24866 database to live somewhere special, set
24867 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24870 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24871 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24872 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
24873 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24874 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24875 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
24876 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
24877 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
24878 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
24879 @xref{Spam Package}.
24881 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24882 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24883 customizing the group parameter or the
24884 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24885 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24886 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24890 Instead of the obsolete
24891 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24892 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24893 the same way, we promise.
24896 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24897 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24898 customizing the group parameter or the
24899 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24900 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24901 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24906 Instead of the obsolete
24907 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24908 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24909 the same way, we promise.
24912 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24913 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24916 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24917 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24918 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24920 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24921 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24922 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24923 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24924 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24925 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24927 @node Extending the Spam package
24928 @subsection Extending the Spam package
24929 @cindex spam filtering
24930 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24931 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24933 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24934 incoming mail, provide the following:
24942 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
24943 "True if blackbox should be used.")
24946 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24948 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24949 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24950 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24951 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24952 register/unregister spam and ham.
24957 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24958 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24959 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24960 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24965 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24972 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24973 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24975 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24976 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24977 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24978 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24981 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24982 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24983 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24985 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24986 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24987 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24996 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24997 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24999 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25000 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25001 variable customization.
25005 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25007 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25008 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25010 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25011 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25017 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25019 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25020 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25021 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25024 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25026 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25027 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25031 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25033 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25034 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25035 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25039 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25041 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25042 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25043 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25046 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25048 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25049 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25053 @code{spam-install-backend}
25055 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25056 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25057 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25060 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25062 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25063 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25064 never install such a back end.
25069 @node Spam Statistics Package
25070 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25071 @cindex Paul Graham
25072 @cindex Graham, Paul
25073 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25074 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25075 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25077 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25078 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25079 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25080 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25081 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25082 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25083 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25084 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25085 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25088 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25089 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25090 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25091 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25092 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25093 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25094 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25095 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25097 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25098 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25099 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25101 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25102 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25103 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25104 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25105 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25108 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25109 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25110 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25113 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25114 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25116 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25117 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25118 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25119 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25120 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25122 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25123 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25124 per mail. Use the following:
25126 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25127 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25128 is treated as one spam mail.
25131 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25132 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25133 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25136 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25137 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25138 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25139 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25140 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25141 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25143 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25144 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25145 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25146 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25147 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25150 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25151 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25152 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25153 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25156 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25157 reset the dictionary.
25159 @defun spam-stat-reset
25160 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25163 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25164 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25165 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25166 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25167 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25168 only non-spam mails.
25170 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25171 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25172 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25175 @defun spam-stat-save
25176 Save the dictionary.
25179 @defvar spam-stat-file
25180 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25181 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25184 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
25185 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
25187 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
25188 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
25190 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25193 (require 'spam-stat)
25197 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
25200 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
25201 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
25202 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
25203 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
25205 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
25206 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
25207 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
25208 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
25211 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25212 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25216 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
25217 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
25220 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
25221 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
25222 expression are considered potential spam.
25225 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25226 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25227 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25231 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
25232 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
25233 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
25234 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
25235 mails, when creating the dictionary!
25238 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25239 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25240 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25244 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
25245 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
25246 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
25247 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
25248 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
25252 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25253 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
25254 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25255 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25260 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25261 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25263 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
25265 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
25266 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
25267 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25270 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
25271 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
25272 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25275 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
25276 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
25277 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
25278 already been processed as non-spam.
25281 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25282 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25283 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25284 been processed as spam.
25287 @defun spam-stat-save
25288 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25289 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25292 @defun spam-stat-load
25293 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25294 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25297 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25298 Return the spam score for a word.
25301 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25302 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25305 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25306 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25307 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25310 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25311 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25314 (require 'spam-stat)
25318 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25321 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25322 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25323 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25324 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25325 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25326 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25327 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25328 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25329 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25330 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25331 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25332 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25333 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25334 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25337 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25340 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25341 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25342 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25343 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25344 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25345 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25348 @node The Gnus Registry
25349 @section The Gnus Registry
25354 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
25355 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
25356 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
25357 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
25358 features are pretty cool.
25360 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
25361 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
25365 Split messages to their parent
25367 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
25368 the sender in addition to the Message-ID. Several strategies are
25372 Refer to messages by ID
25374 Commands like @code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article} can take
25375 advantage of the registry to jump to the referred article, regardless
25376 of the group the message is in.
25379 Store custom flags and keywords
25381 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
25382 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
25383 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
25387 Store arbitrary data
25389 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
25390 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
25391 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
25396 * Fancy splitting to parent::
25397 * Registry Article Refer Method::
25398 * Store custom flags and keywords::
25399 * Store arbitrary data::
25405 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
25408 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
25409 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
25411 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25414 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
25415 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @code{*Group*} buffer. It also
25416 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.) so
25417 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
25418 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
25420 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
25421 what they do before you copy them blindly).
25425 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
25426 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
25430 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
25431 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t
25432 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
25435 They say: keep a lot of messages around, use long group names, track
25436 messages by sender and subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when
25437 the registry splits incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where
25438 messages should go if there's more than one possibility. In addition,
25439 the registry should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'',
25440 ``nnrss'', ``spam'', or ``train.''
25442 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
25443 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
25444 the general settings.
25446 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
25447 The groups that will not be followed by
25448 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
25449 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
25452 @defvar gnus-registry-ignored-groups
25453 The groups that will not be remembered by the registry. This is a
25454 list of regular expressions, also available through Group/Topic
25455 customization (so you can ignore or keep a specific group or a whole
25459 @defvar gnus-registry-use-long-group-names
25460 Whether the registry will use long group names. It's recommended to
25461 set this to @code{t}, although everything works if you don't. Future
25462 functionality will require it.
25465 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
25466 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
25467 registry will keep.
25470 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
25471 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions.
25474 @node Registry Article Refer Method
25475 @subsection Fetching by @code{Message-ID} Using the Registry
25477 The registry knows how to map each @code{Message-ID} to the group it's
25478 in. This can be leveraged to enhance the ``article refer method'',
25479 the thing that tells Gnus how to look up an article given its
25480 Message-ID (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25483 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
25485 The @code{nnregistry} refer method does exactly that. It has the
25486 advantage that an article may be found regardless of the group it's
25487 in---provided its @code{Message-ID} is known to the registry. It can
25488 be enabled by augmenting the start-up file with something along these
25492 ;; Keep enough entries to have a good hit rate when referring to an
25493 ;; article using the registry. Use long group names so that Gnus
25494 ;; knows where the article is.
25495 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
25496 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
25498 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25500 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
25503 (nnweb "gmane" (nnweb-type gmane))))
25506 The example above instructs Gnus to first look up the article in the
25507 current group, or, alternatively, using the registry, and finally, if
25508 all else fails, using Gmane.
25510 @node Fancy splitting to parent
25511 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
25513 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
25515 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
25516 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
25517 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
25520 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
25521 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
25522 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
25523 have to put a rule like this:
25526 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
25528 ;; split to parent: you need this
25529 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
25531 ;; other rules, as an example
25537 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
25538 following variables.
25540 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
25541 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
25542 Customize interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to
25543 track @code{subject} and @code{sender} as well when splitting by parent.
25544 It may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
25545 people don't stick to the same groups.
25548 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
25549 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
25550 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
25551 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
25552 the majority of matches or on the first found.
25555 @node Store custom flags and keywords
25556 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
25558 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
25559 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
25560 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
25562 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
25563 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
25564 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
25565 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
25566 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
25567 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
25569 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
25570 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
25571 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
25575 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
25576 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
25577 will offer the available marks for completion.
25580 @node Store arbitrary data
25581 @subsection Store arbitrary data
25583 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
25584 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
25587 @defun gnus-registry-store-extra-entry (id key value)
25588 Store @code{value} in the extra data key @code{key} for message
25592 @defun gnus-registry-delete-extra-entry (id key)
25593 Delete the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
25596 @defun gnus-registry-fetch-extra (id key)
25597 Get the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
25600 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
25601 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
25602 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
25603 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
25604 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
25609 @section Interaction with other modes
25614 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
25615 buffers. It is enabled with
25617 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25622 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25623 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
25624 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25625 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25628 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25629 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25630 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25634 @findex gnus-dired-print
25635 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25636 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25639 @node Various Various
25640 @section Various Various
25646 @item gnus-home-directory
25647 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25648 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25649 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25651 @item gnus-directory
25652 @vindex gnus-directory
25653 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25654 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25655 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25657 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25658 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25659 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25660 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25662 @item gnus-default-directory
25663 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25664 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25665 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25666 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25667 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25668 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25669 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25672 @vindex gnus-verbose
25673 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25674 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25675 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25676 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25677 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25679 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25680 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25681 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25682 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25684 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25685 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25686 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
25687 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
25688 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
25689 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
25690 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
25691 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
25692 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
25693 displayed in the echo area.
25695 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25696 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25697 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25698 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25699 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25700 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25701 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25702 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25703 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25704 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25706 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25707 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25708 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25709 read when doing the operation described above.
25711 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25712 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25714 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25715 @cindex characters in file names
25716 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25717 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25718 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25722 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25727 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25728 Windows (phooey) systems.
25730 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25731 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25732 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25733 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25734 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25736 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25737 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25738 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25739 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25740 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25742 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25743 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25744 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25746 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25747 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25749 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25750 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25751 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25752 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25755 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25757 @item gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
25758 @vindex gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
25759 Groups in which links in html articles are considered all safe. The
25760 value may be a regexp matching those groups, a list of group names, or
25761 @code{nil}. This overrides @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp}. The default
25762 value is @code{"\\`nnrss[+:]"}. This is effective only when emacs-w3m
25763 renders html articles, i.e., in the case @code{mm-text-html-renderer} is
25764 set to @code{w3m}. @xref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization,
25765 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}.
25772 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25773 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25775 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25777 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25783 Not because of victories @*
25786 but for the common sunshine,@*
25788 the largess of the spring.
25792 but for the day's work done@*
25793 as well as I was able;@*
25794 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25795 but at the common table.@*
25800 @chapter Appendices
25803 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25804 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25805 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25806 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25807 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25808 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25809 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25810 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25811 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25818 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25820 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25821 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25822 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25823 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25824 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25825 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25832 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25833 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25835 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25836 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25837 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25838 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25839 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25841 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25842 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25843 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25844 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25845 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25846 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25848 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25849 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25850 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25851 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25854 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25855 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25856 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25857 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25858 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25859 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25860 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25861 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25862 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25866 @node Gnus Versions
25867 @subsection Gnus Versions
25869 @cindex September Gnus
25871 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25872 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25875 @cindex Gnus versions
25877 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25878 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25879 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25881 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25882 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25884 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25885 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25887 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25888 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25890 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25891 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25894 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25895 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25897 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25899 On April 19, 2010 Gnus development was moved to Git. See
25900 http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
25901 with the information when possible).
25903 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25904 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25905 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25906 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25907 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25908 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25911 @node Other Gnus Versions
25912 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25915 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25916 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25917 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25918 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25920 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25921 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25922 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25923 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25930 What's the point of Gnus?
25932 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25933 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25934 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25935 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25936 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25937 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25938 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25939 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25940 keep track of millions of people who post?
25942 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25943 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25944 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25945 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25946 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25947 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25948 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25949 every one of you to explore and invent.
25951 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25952 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25955 @node Compatibility
25956 @subsection Compatibility
25958 @cindex compatibility
25959 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25960 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25961 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25966 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25970 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25973 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25976 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25977 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25978 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25979 important variables have their values copied into their global
25980 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25981 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25983 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25984 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25985 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25986 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25987 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25991 @cindex highlighting
25992 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25993 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25994 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25995 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25996 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25997 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26000 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26001 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26002 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26003 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26005 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26006 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26007 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26008 to stop doing it the old way.
26010 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26012 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26014 @cindex reporting bugs
26016 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26017 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26018 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26020 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26021 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26022 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26023 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26028 @subsection Conformity
26030 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26031 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26039 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26043 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26045 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26046 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26047 We do have some breaches to this one.
26053 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26054 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26055 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26056 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26057 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26062 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26063 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26064 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26065 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26067 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
26068 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26069 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26071 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
26072 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26074 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26077 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26078 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26079 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26080 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26081 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26084 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
26085 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26086 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26087 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26089 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
26090 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26092 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26093 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26094 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26095 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26096 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26097 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26098 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26099 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26103 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26104 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26109 @subsection Emacsen
26115 This version of Gnus should work on:
26123 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26127 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26128 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26129 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26130 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26132 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
26135 @node Gnus Development
26136 @subsection Gnus Development
26138 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26139 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
26140 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26141 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26142 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26143 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26144 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26145 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
26147 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26148 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26149 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
26150 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26151 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
26152 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
26153 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
26157 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26158 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26159 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26160 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26161 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26163 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
26164 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
26165 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
26166 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
26167 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
26168 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
26169 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
26170 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
26171 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
26172 can't be assumed to do so.
26174 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
26175 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
26176 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
26179 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26180 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26181 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26182 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26183 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26186 @subsection Contributors
26187 @cindex contributors
26189 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
26190 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
26191 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
26192 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
26193 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
26194 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
26195 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
26196 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
26197 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
26198 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
26200 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
26206 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
26209 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el,
26210 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
26211 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
26212 functionality and stuff.
26215 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
26216 well as numerous other things).
26219 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26222 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26225 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26228 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
26231 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
26232 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
26235 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
26238 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
26241 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
26244 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
26247 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
26250 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
26253 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
26254 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
26257 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
26260 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
26263 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
26266 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
26270 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
26273 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
26276 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
26279 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
26280 well as autoconf support.
26284 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
26285 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
26287 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
26302 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
26304 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
26308 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
26318 Alexei V. Barantsev,
26333 Massimo Campostrini,
26338 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
26339 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
26343 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
26346 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
26352 Michael Welsh Duggan,
26357 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
26361 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
26369 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
26371 Michelangelo Grigni,
26375 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
26377 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
26379 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
26387 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
26388 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
26389 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
26391 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
26401 Peter Skov Knudsen,
26402 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
26404 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
26405 Thor Kristoffersen,
26408 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
26426 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
26427 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
26434 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
26439 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
26443 John McClary Prevost,
26449 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
26454 Christian von Roques,
26457 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
26464 Philippe Schnoebelen,
26466 Randal L. Schwartz,
26480 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
26485 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
26505 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
26506 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
26507 (550kB and counting).
26509 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
26512 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
26513 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
26517 @subsection New Features
26518 @cindex new features
26521 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
26522 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
26523 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
26524 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
26525 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
26526 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
26527 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
26530 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
26531 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
26532 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
26535 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
26537 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
26542 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
26543 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
26546 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
26547 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
26550 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
26553 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
26554 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
26555 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
26558 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
26559 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
26560 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
26561 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26564 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
26565 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26568 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
26569 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
26570 (@pxref{The Active File}).
26573 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
26574 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
26577 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
26578 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
26579 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26582 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
26583 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
26584 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
26587 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
26588 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
26591 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
26592 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
26595 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
26596 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26599 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
26600 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
26603 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
26604 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26607 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
26610 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
26611 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
26614 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
26615 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
26618 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
26619 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
26622 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
26625 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
26626 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26629 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
26633 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
26637 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
26638 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
26643 @node September Gnus
26644 @subsubsection September Gnus
26648 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26652 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26657 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26658 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26662 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26663 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26667 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26671 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26672 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26675 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26679 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26682 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26685 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26688 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26692 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26693 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26696 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26700 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26704 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26708 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26712 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26715 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26716 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26719 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26723 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26724 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26727 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26730 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26731 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26732 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26735 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets.
26738 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26741 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26745 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26746 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26749 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26750 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26753 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26754 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26757 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26758 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26759 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26762 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26763 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26766 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26769 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26772 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26775 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26778 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26779 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26782 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26786 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26789 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26794 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26797 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26801 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26804 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26807 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26808 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26811 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26812 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26816 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26817 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26820 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26824 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26825 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26828 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26831 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26835 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26839 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26840 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26843 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26847 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26848 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26851 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26852 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26855 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26859 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26862 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26865 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26871 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26873 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26877 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26884 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26887 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26888 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26891 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26892 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26896 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26897 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26900 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26903 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26904 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26907 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26911 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26912 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26916 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26917 Server Internals}).
26920 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26924 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26927 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26928 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26931 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26932 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26933 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26936 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26937 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26940 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26941 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26944 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26948 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26949 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26952 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26953 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26956 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26960 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26963 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26967 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26968 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26971 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26972 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26975 A new command for reading collections of documents
26976 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26977 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26980 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26984 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26985 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26988 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26989 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26990 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26993 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26994 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26998 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27002 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27006 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27011 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27015 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27019 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27020 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27023 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27029 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27031 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27036 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27037 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27038 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27041 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27042 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27043 group, which is created automatically.
27046 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27050 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
27053 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27054 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27057 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27061 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27064 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27065 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27068 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27071 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27075 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27076 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27079 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27080 control over simplification.
27083 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27086 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27090 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27093 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27096 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27097 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27098 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27101 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27102 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27105 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27109 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27110 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27113 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27114 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27117 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27121 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27124 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27127 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27128 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27131 A new function for citing in Message has been
27132 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27135 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27138 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
27142 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
27143 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
27146 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
27147 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
27150 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
27153 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
27157 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
27158 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
27160 New features in Gnus 5.8:
27165 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
27166 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
27168 If you used procmail like in
27171 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
27172 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
27173 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
27174 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
27177 this now has changed to
27181 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
27185 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
27188 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
27189 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
27192 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
27193 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
27196 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
27197 called to position point.
27200 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
27201 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
27204 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27205 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27208 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27209 subtly different manner.
27212 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27213 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27214 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27217 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
27222 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
27225 New features in Gnus 5.10:
27229 @item Installation changes
27230 @c ***********************
27234 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
27236 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
27237 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
27238 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
27239 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
27240 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
27241 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
27242 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
27243 isn't save in general.
27246 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
27247 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
27248 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
27249 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
27250 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
27251 remove-installed-shadows}.
27254 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
27256 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
27257 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
27258 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
27259 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
27260 the second parameter.
27262 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
27263 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
27264 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
27265 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
27266 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
27267 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
27268 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
27269 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
27270 cycle used under Unix systems.
27272 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
27273 superfluous, so they have been removed.
27276 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
27278 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
27279 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
27282 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
27283 @c the repository. We should find a better place for this item.
27285 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
27287 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
27288 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
27289 lisp directory into load-path.
27291 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
27292 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
27296 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
27297 @c *****************************************
27302 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
27303 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
27306 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
27308 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
27309 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS.
27312 Improved anti-spam features.
27314 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
27315 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
27316 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
27317 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
27318 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
27319 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
27322 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27324 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27325 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27326 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27327 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27328 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27332 @item Changes in group mode
27333 @c ************************
27338 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
27342 Retrieval of charters and control messages
27344 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
27345 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
27348 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
27350 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
27351 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
27352 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
27353 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
27354 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
27357 (setq gnus-parameters
27359 (gnus-show-threads nil)
27360 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
27361 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
27362 (to-group . "\\1"))))
27366 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
27368 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
27369 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
27370 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
27371 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
27372 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
27373 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
27374 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
27375 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
27376 when getting new mail, remove the function.
27379 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27381 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27382 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27383 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27386 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27387 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27389 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27390 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27391 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27393 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27397 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
27398 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
27399 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
27403 @item Changes in summary and article mode
27404 @c **************************************
27409 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
27410 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
27411 region if the region is active.
27414 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
27415 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
27420 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
27421 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
27422 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
27423 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
27426 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
27431 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
27432 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
27434 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
27435 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
27439 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
27440 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
27443 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
27446 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
27447 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
27450 Warn about email replies to news
27452 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
27453 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
27457 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
27458 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
27462 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
27463 opposed to old but unread messages).
27466 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
27467 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
27470 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
27471 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
27474 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
27475 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
27478 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
27480 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
27481 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
27482 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
27483 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
27486 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
27487 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
27488 Outlook (Express) articles.
27491 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
27493 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
27494 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
27495 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
27496 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
27498 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
27499 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
27500 message cited below.
27503 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
27506 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
27510 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
27513 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
27514 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
27517 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
27520 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
27522 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
27523 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
27524 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
27525 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
27526 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
27530 Deleting of attachments.
27532 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
27533 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
27534 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
27535 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
27536 that support editing.
27539 @code{gnus-default-charset}
27541 The default value is determined from the
27542 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
27543 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
27544 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
27547 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27549 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27550 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27551 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27554 Extended format specs.
27556 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27557 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27558 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27559 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27560 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27561 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27564 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27565 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
27567 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27568 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27569 out other articles.
27572 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27574 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27575 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27576 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27577 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27580 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27584 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
27585 @c ****************************************************
27592 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
27593 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
27594 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
27597 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
27598 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
27601 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
27602 Gcc articles as read.
27605 Externalizing of attachments
27607 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
27608 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
27609 local files as external parts.
27612 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
27613 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
27616 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
27618 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
27619 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
27620 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
27621 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
27622 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
27623 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
27624 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
27625 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
27626 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
27629 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
27631 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
27632 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
27633 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
27634 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
27635 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
27636 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
27639 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
27640 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
27644 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
27647 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
27649 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
27650 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
27651 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
27652 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
27653 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
27654 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
27655 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
27656 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
27657 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
27658 was inserted directly.
27661 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
27663 @c FIXME should that not be 'message-user-agent?
27664 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
27665 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
27666 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
27667 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
27670 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
27672 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
27674 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
27675 'bbdb-complete-name)
27679 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
27681 Add a new format of match like
27683 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
27684 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27686 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27688 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27689 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27693 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27695 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27696 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27697 need add those two headers too.
27700 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27701 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27702 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27706 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27707 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27708 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
27709 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27710 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
27713 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27715 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27718 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27720 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27724 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27726 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27727 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27728 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27729 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27730 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27731 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27732 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27733 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27736 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27737 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27739 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27740 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27741 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27742 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27745 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27748 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27749 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27752 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
27755 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27756 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27757 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27758 invalidate the digital signature.
27761 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
27762 decompressed when activated.
27763 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
27766 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
27768 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
27769 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
27770 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
27771 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
27772 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
27775 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
27776 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
27777 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
27778 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
27780 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
27781 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
27782 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
27783 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
27787 @item Changes in back ends
27788 @c ***********************
27792 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
27795 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
27798 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27800 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27803 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27805 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27806 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27807 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27808 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27809 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27810 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27811 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27812 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27813 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27814 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27815 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27825 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27826 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27829 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27830 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27831 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27832 message, Message Manual}).
27835 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
27836 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
27837 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
27838 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
27840 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
27841 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
27842 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
27847 @item Miscellaneous changes
27848 @c ************************
27855 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
27856 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
27857 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
27858 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
27859 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
27860 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
27861 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
27862 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
27863 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
27864 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
27865 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
27866 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
27867 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
27868 is not needed any more.
27871 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27873 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27874 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27875 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27880 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
27881 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
27882 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
27886 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
27889 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
27891 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
27898 @subsubsection No Gnus
27901 New features in No Gnus:
27902 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27904 @include gnus-news.texi
27910 @section The Manual
27914 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27915 either @code{texi2dvi}
27917 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27918 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27920 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27922 The following conventions have been used:
27927 This is a @samp{string}
27930 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27933 This is a @file{file}
27936 This is a @code{symbol}
27940 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27944 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27947 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27950 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27953 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27954 ever get them confused.
27958 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27959 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27960 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27961 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27962 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27963 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27964 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27970 @node On Writing Manuals
27971 @section On Writing Manuals
27973 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27974 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27975 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27976 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27977 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27978 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
27981 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27982 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27983 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27986 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27987 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
27992 @section Terminology
27994 @cindex terminology
27999 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28000 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28001 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28002 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28003 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28007 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28008 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28009 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28010 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28014 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28018 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28023 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28024 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28025 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28026 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28027 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28028 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28029 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28030 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28031 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28034 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28035 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28036 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28037 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28038 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28039 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28041 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28042 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28043 access the articles.
28045 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28046 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28047 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28052 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28053 default, way of getting news.
28057 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
28058 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
28063 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
28064 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
28068 A message that has been posted as news.
28071 @cindex mail message
28072 A message that has been mailed.
28076 A mail message or news article
28080 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
28085 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28090 A line from the head of an article.
28094 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28095 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28097 @item @acronym{NOV}
28098 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28099 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
28100 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
28101 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
28102 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
28103 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
28105 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28106 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28107 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28108 normal @sc{head} format.
28110 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
28111 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
28112 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
28113 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
28114 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
28117 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
28118 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
28119 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
28120 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
28121 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
28122 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
28123 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
28127 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
28128 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28129 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
28130 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28131 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28132 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28134 @item killed groups
28135 @cindex killed groups
28136 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28137 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
28139 @item zombie groups
28140 @cindex zombie groups
28141 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
28144 @cindex active file
28145 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
28146 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
28147 is rather large, as you might surmise.
28150 @cindex bogus groups
28151 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
28152 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
28153 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
28156 @cindex activating groups
28157 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
28158 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
28159 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
28163 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
28164 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
28165 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
28169 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
28171 @item select method
28172 @cindex select method
28173 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
28176 @item virtual server
28177 @cindex virtual server
28178 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
28179 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
28180 whole is a virtual server.
28184 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
28185 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
28188 @item ephemeral groups
28189 @cindex ephemeral groups
28190 @cindex temporary groups
28191 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
28192 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
28193 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
28196 @cindex solid groups
28197 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
28198 group buffer are solid groups.
28200 @item sparse articles
28201 @cindex sparse articles
28202 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
28203 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
28207 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
28208 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
28212 @cindex thread root
28213 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
28214 articles in the thread.
28218 An article that has responses.
28222 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
28226 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
28227 specified by RFC 1153.
28230 @cindex splitting, terminology
28231 @cindex mail sorting
28232 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
28233 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
28234 incorrectly called mail filtering.
28240 @node Customization
28241 @section Customization
28242 @cindex general customization
28244 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
28245 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
28246 for some quite common situations.
28249 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
28250 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
28251 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
28252 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
28256 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
28257 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
28259 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
28260 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
28261 Gnus has to get from the server.
28265 @item gnus-read-active-file
28266 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
28267 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
28268 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28269 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
28270 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
28272 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
28273 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
28274 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
28275 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
28276 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
28277 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
28278 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
28279 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
28280 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
28281 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
28282 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
28284 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
28285 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
28286 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
28287 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, and @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}. Note that a
28288 non-@code{nil} value for @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those
28293 @node Slow Terminal Connection
28294 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
28296 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
28297 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
28298 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
28302 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
28303 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
28304 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
28305 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
28306 horizontal and vertical recentering.
28308 @item gnus-visible-headers
28309 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
28310 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
28311 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
28312 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
28314 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
28316 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
28317 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
28318 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
28321 @item gnus-use-full-window
28322 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
28323 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
28324 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
28325 want to read them anyway.
28327 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
28328 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
28332 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
28333 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
28334 lines, which might save some time.
28338 @node Little Disk Space
28339 @subsection Little Disk Space
28342 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
28343 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
28347 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
28348 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
28349 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28350 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28353 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
28354 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
28355 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28356 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28359 @item gnus-save-killed-list
28360 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
28361 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
28362 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
28363 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
28369 @subsection Slow Machine
28370 @cindex slow machine
28372 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
28373 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
28375 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28376 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
28378 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
28379 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
28380 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
28384 @node Troubleshooting
28385 @section Troubleshooting
28386 @cindex troubleshooting
28388 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
28396 Make sure your computer is switched on.
28399 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
28400 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
28404 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
28406 @samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
28408 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
28409 files lying around. Delete these.
28412 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
28413 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
28416 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
28417 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
28418 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
28419 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
28420 something like that.
28423 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
28426 @cindex reporting bugs
28428 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
28430 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
28431 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
28432 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
28433 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
28435 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
28436 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
28437 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
28438 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
28441 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
28442 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
28443 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
28444 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
28445 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
28446 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
28448 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
28449 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
28450 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
28454 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
28455 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
28458 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
28459 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
28460 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
28461 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
28462 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
28463 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
28464 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
28465 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
28466 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
28467 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
28468 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
28469 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
28470 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
28471 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
28476 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
28477 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
28478 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
28479 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
28480 helps isolating the real problem areas).
28482 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
28483 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
28484 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
28485 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
28486 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
28487 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
28488 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
28489 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
28490 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
28491 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
28492 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
28493 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
28494 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
28497 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
28498 @cindex ding mailing list
28499 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
28500 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
28501 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
28502 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
28506 @node Gnus Reference Guide
28507 @section Gnus Reference Guide
28509 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
28510 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
28511 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
28512 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
28515 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
28516 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
28517 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
28518 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
28519 and general methods of operation.
28522 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
28523 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
28524 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
28525 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
28526 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
28527 * Group Info:: The group info format.
28528 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
28529 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
28530 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
28534 @node Gnus Utility Functions
28535 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
28536 @cindex Gnus utility functions
28537 @cindex utility functions
28539 @cindex internal variables
28541 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
28542 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
28543 Below is a list of the most common ones.
28547 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
28548 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
28549 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
28551 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
28552 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
28553 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
28555 @item gnus-group-real-name
28556 @findex gnus-group-real-name
28557 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
28560 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
28561 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
28562 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
28563 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
28565 @item gnus-get-info
28566 @findex gnus-get-info
28567 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
28569 @item gnus-group-unread
28570 @findex gnus-group-unread
28571 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
28575 @findex gnus-active
28576 The active entry for @var{group}.
28578 @item gnus-set-active
28579 @findex gnus-set-active
28580 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
28582 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28583 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28584 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
28587 @item gnus-continuum-version
28588 @findex gnus-continuum-version
28589 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
28590 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
28593 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
28594 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
28595 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
28597 @item gnus-news-group-p
28598 @findex gnus-news-group-p
28599 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
28601 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28602 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28603 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
28605 @item gnus-server-to-method
28606 @findex gnus-server-to-method
28607 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
28609 @item gnus-server-equal
28610 @findex gnus-server-equal
28611 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
28613 @item gnus-group-native-p
28614 @findex gnus-group-native-p
28615 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
28617 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
28618 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
28619 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
28621 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
28622 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
28623 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
28625 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
28626 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
28627 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
28628 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
28630 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
28631 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
28632 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
28634 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
28635 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
28636 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
28638 @item gnus-check-backend-function
28639 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
28640 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
28641 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
28644 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
28648 @item gnus-read-method
28649 @findex gnus-read-method
28650 Prompts the user for a select method.
28655 @node Back End Interface
28656 @subsection Back End Interface
28658 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
28659 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
28660 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
28661 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
28662 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
28663 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
28665 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
28666 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
28667 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
28668 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
28669 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
28670 been opened, the function should fail.
28672 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
28673 name. Take this example:
28677 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
28678 (nntp-port-number 4324))
28681 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
28682 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
28684 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
28685 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
28686 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
28688 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
28689 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
28690 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
28692 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
28693 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
28694 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
28695 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
28696 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
28697 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
28700 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
28701 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
28702 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
28703 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
28706 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
28707 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
28708 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
28709 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
28710 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
28711 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
28712 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
28713 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
28714 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
28715 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
28717 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
28718 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
28719 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
28720 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
28721 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
28722 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
28723 of numbers as long as possible.
28725 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
28726 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
28727 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
28729 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
28732 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
28735 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
28736 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
28737 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
28738 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
28739 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
28740 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
28744 @node Required Back End Functions
28745 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
28749 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
28751 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
28752 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
28753 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
28754 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
28756 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
28757 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
28758 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
28759 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
28761 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
28762 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
28763 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28764 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28765 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28766 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28767 number, do maximum fetches.
28769 Here's an example HEAD:
28772 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28773 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28774 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28775 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28776 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28777 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28778 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28780 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28781 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28782 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28786 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28787 these in the data buffer.
28789 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28793 head = error / valid-head
28794 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28795 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28796 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28797 header = <text> eol
28801 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28803 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28804 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28808 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28809 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28810 field = <text except TAB>
28813 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28817 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28819 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28820 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28822 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28823 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28824 server. In fact, it should do so.
28826 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28827 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28830 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28832 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28833 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28836 There should be no data returned.
28839 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28841 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28842 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28843 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28844 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28846 There should be no data returned.
28849 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28851 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28852 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28853 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28854 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28856 There should be no data returned.
28859 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28861 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28863 There should be no data returned.
28866 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28868 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28869 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28870 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28871 it would be nice if that were possible.
28873 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28874 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28875 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28876 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28877 into its article buffer.
28879 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28880 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28881 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28882 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28883 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28884 on successful article retrieval.
28887 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST INFO)
28889 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28890 making @var{group} the current group.
28892 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28895 If @var{info}, it allows the backend to update the group info
28898 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28901 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28904 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28905 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28906 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28907 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28908 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28909 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28910 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28911 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28912 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28916 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28917 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28918 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28922 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28924 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28925 a no-op on most back ends.
28927 There should be no data returned.
28930 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28932 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28935 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28938 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28939 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28942 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28943 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28944 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28945 and the highest as 0.
28948 active-file = *active-line
28949 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28951 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28954 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28955 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28956 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28959 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28961 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28962 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28963 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28964 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28965 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28966 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28968 There should be no result data from this function.
28973 @node Optional Back End Functions
28974 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28978 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28980 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28981 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28982 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28984 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28985 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28986 former is in the same format as the data from
28987 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28988 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28991 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28995 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28997 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28998 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28999 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
29000 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
29001 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
29002 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
29003 the network resources).
29005 There should be no result data from this function.
29008 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
29010 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
29011 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
29012 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
29013 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
29014 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
29015 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
29016 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
29017 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
29019 There should be no result data from this function.
29022 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29024 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29025 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
29026 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29027 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29028 propagate the mark information to the server.
29030 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29033 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29036 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29037 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29038 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29039 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29040 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29041 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
29042 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
29043 possible, not limit itself to these.
29045 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29046 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29047 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29048 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29050 An example action list:
29053 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29054 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29055 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29058 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29059 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29061 There should be no result data from this function.
29063 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29065 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29066 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29067 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29068 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29069 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29071 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29072 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29073 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29076 There should be no result data from this function.
29079 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29081 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29082 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29083 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29084 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29085 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29086 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29087 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29088 local if that's practical.
29090 There should be no result data from this function.
29093 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29095 The result data from this function should be a description of
29099 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29101 description = <text>
29104 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29106 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29107 groups available on the server.
29110 description-buffer = *description-line
29114 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29116 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29117 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29118 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29119 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29120 in the active buffer format.
29122 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29123 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29124 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29125 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29126 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29127 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29128 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29131 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29133 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29135 There should be no return data.
29138 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
29140 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
29141 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
29142 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
29143 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
29144 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
29147 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
29150 There should be no result data returned.
29153 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
29155 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
29156 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
29158 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
29159 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
29160 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
29161 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
29162 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
29163 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
29165 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
29166 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
29169 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29170 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29172 There should be no data returned.
29175 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
29177 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
29178 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
29179 this function in short order.
29181 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29182 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29184 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
29185 article for that group.
29187 There should be no data returned.
29190 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
29192 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
29193 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
29195 There should be no data returned.
29198 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
29200 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
29201 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
29202 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
29204 There should be no data returned.
29207 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
29209 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
29210 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
29212 There should be no data returned.
29217 @node Error Messaging
29218 @subsubsection Error Messaging
29220 @findex nnheader-report
29221 @findex nnheader-get-report
29222 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
29223 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
29224 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
29225 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
29226 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
29227 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
29230 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
29232 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
29235 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
29236 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
29237 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
29238 takes one argument---the server symbol.
29240 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
29241 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
29242 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
29245 @node Writing New Back Ends
29246 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
29248 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
29249 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
29250 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
29251 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
29252 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
29255 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
29256 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
29257 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
29259 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
29260 package called @code{nnoo}.
29262 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
29263 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
29269 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
29270 parameters. For instance:
29273 (nnoo-declare nndir
29277 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
29278 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
29281 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
29282 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
29283 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
29285 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
29286 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
29287 a function in those back ends.
29290 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29291 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29292 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29295 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
29296 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
29297 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
29299 @item nnoo-define-basics
29300 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
29304 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29308 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
29309 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
29310 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
29312 @item nnoo-map-functions
29313 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
29314 functions from the parent back ends.
29317 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29318 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29319 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
29322 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
29323 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
29324 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
29325 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
29328 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
29329 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
29330 haven't already been defined.
29336 nnmh-request-newgroups)
29340 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
29341 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
29342 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
29347 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
29350 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
29351 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,1996 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
29355 (require 'nnheader)
29359 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
29361 (nnoo-declare nndir
29364 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29365 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29366 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29368 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
29369 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
29372 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
29374 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
29375 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
29376 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
29378 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
29379 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
29381 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
29383 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29385 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
29386 (setq nndir-directory
29387 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
29389 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
29390 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
29391 (push `(nndir-current-group
29392 ,(file-name-nondirectory
29393 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29395 (push `(nndir-top-directory
29396 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29398 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
29400 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29401 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29402 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29403 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
29404 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
29408 nnmh-status-message
29410 nnmh-request-newgroups))
29416 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29417 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29419 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
29420 @findex gnus-declare-backend
29421 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
29422 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
29423 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
29425 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
29426 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
29431 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
29434 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
29436 The abilities can be:
29440 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
29442 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
29444 This back end supports both mail and news.
29446 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
29449 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
29450 articles and groups.
29452 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
29453 true for almost all back ends.
29454 @item prompt-address
29455 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
29456 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
29457 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
29461 @node Mail-like Back Ends
29462 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
29464 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
29465 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
29466 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
29467 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
29470 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
29471 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
29472 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
29475 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
29476 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
29479 This function takes four parameters.
29483 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
29486 @item exit-function
29487 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
29489 @item temp-directory
29490 Where the temporary files should be stored.
29493 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
29494 performed for one group only.
29497 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
29498 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
29499 find the article number assigned to this article.
29501 The function also uses the following variables:
29502 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
29503 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
29504 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
29505 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
29509 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
29510 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
29514 @node Score File Syntax
29515 @subsection Score File Syntax
29517 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
29518 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
29519 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
29521 Here's a typical score file:
29525 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
29532 BNF definition of a score file:
29535 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
29536 element = rule / atom
29537 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
29538 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
29539 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
29540 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
29542 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
29543 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
29544 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
29545 date-header = "date"
29546 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29547 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29548 score = "nil" / <integer>
29549 date = "nil" / <natural number>
29550 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
29551 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
29552 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
29553 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
29554 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29555 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29556 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
29557 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29558 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
29559 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
29560 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
29561 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
29562 exclude-files / read-only / touched
29563 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
29564 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
29565 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
29566 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
29567 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
29568 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
29569 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
29570 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
29571 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
29572 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
29573 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
29574 eval = "eval" space <form>
29575 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
29578 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
29581 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
29582 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
29583 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
29584 one looong line, then that's ok.
29586 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
29587 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
29591 @subsection Headers
29593 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
29594 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
29595 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
29596 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
29598 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
29599 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
29600 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
29601 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
29602 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
29603 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
29604 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
29606 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
29607 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
29608 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
29609 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
29610 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
29612 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
29613 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
29619 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
29620 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
29622 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
29623 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
29624 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
29625 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
29627 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
29631 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
29634 is transformed into
29637 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
29640 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
29641 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
29644 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
29647 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
29648 is slightly tricky:
29651 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
29657 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
29660 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
29666 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
29673 and is equal to the previous range.
29675 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
29676 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
29677 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
29681 range = simple-range / normal-range
29682 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
29683 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
29684 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
29685 number *[ " " contents ]
29688 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
29689 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
29690 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
29691 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
29692 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
29697 @subsection Group Info
29699 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
29700 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
29701 describes the group.
29703 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
29704 second is a more complex one:
29707 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
29709 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
29710 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
29712 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
29715 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
29716 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
29717 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
29718 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
29719 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
29720 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
29721 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
29722 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
29723 this section is about.
29725 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
29726 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
29727 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
29729 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
29732 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
29733 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
29734 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29735 group = quote <string> quote
29736 ralevel = rank / level
29737 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29738 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
29739 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29741 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
29742 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
29743 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
29744 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
29747 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
29748 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
29751 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
29752 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
29755 @item gnus-info-group
29756 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
29757 @findex gnus-info-group
29758 @findex gnus-info-set-group
29759 Get/set the group name.
29761 @item gnus-info-rank
29762 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
29763 @findex gnus-info-rank
29764 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
29765 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29767 @item gnus-info-level
29768 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29769 @findex gnus-info-level
29770 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29771 Get/set the group level.
29773 @item gnus-info-score
29774 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29775 @findex gnus-info-score
29776 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29777 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29779 @item gnus-info-read
29780 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29781 @findex gnus-info-read
29782 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29783 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29785 @item gnus-info-marks
29786 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29787 @findex gnus-info-marks
29788 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29789 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29791 @item gnus-info-method
29792 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29793 @findex gnus-info-method
29794 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29795 Get/set the group select method.
29797 @item gnus-info-params
29798 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29799 @findex gnus-info-params
29800 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29801 Get/set the group parameters.
29804 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29805 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29807 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29808 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29809 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29810 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29813 @node Extended Interactive
29814 @subsection Extended Interactive
29815 @cindex interactive
29816 @findex gnus-interactive
29818 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29819 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29820 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29823 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29824 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29829 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29830 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29831 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29832 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29833 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29834 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29835 @code{interactive}.
29837 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29842 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29843 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29847 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29848 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29849 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29852 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29856 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29860 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29866 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29867 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29871 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29872 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29873 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29875 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29876 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29877 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29878 Gnus, that's very useful.
29880 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29881 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29882 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29883 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29884 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29885 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29886 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29887 following function:
29890 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29894 (,function ,@@args))
29898 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29899 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29900 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29903 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29904 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29905 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29907 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29908 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29909 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29912 @node Various File Formats
29913 @subsection Various File Formats
29916 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29917 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29921 @node Active File Format
29922 @subsubsection Active File Format
29924 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29925 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29928 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29931 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29932 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29933 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29934 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29935 no.general 1000 900 y
29938 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29941 active = *group-line
29942 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29943 group = <non-white-space string>
29945 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29946 low-number = <positive integer>
29947 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29950 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29951 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29954 @node Newsgroups File Format
29955 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29957 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29958 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29959 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29962 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29963 Here's the definition:
29967 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29968 group = <non-white-space string>
29970 description = <string>
29975 @node Emacs for Heathens
29976 @section Emacs for Heathens
29978 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29979 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29980 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29981 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29982 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29983 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29984 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29988 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29989 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29994 @subsection Keystrokes
29998 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
30001 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
30004 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
30005 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
30006 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
30007 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
30008 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
30009 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
30011 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
30012 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
30013 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
30014 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
30015 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
30016 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
30017 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
30019 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30020 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30021 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30022 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30023 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30024 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30025 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30027 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30028 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30029 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30030 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30031 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30037 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30039 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30040 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30041 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30042 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30044 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30045 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30046 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30047 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30048 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30049 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30050 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30051 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30052 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30053 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30055 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30056 write the following:
30059 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30062 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30063 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30064 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30065 change how Gnus works.
30067 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30068 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30069 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30070 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30071 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30073 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30074 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30075 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30079 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30083 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30086 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server-file} to
30087 @samp{/etc/nntpserver}'', that means:
30090 (setq gnus-nntp-server-file "/etc/nntpserver")
30093 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30094 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30097 @include gnus-faq.texi
30099 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30100 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30101 @include doclicense.texi
30119 @c Local Variables:
30121 @c coding: iso-8859-1