10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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284 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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293 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
295 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
299 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
300 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
301 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
302 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
303 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
304 License'' in the Emacs manual.
306 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
307 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
308 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
310 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
311 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
312 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
313 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
321 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
323 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
324 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
326 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
327 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
328 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
329 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
330 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
331 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
332 License'' in the Emacs manual.
334 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
335 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
336 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
338 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
339 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
340 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
341 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
349 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
352 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
355 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
357 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
358 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
359 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
360 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
361 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
362 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
363 License'' in the Emacs manual.
365 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
366 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
367 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
369 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
370 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
371 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
372 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
381 @top The Gnus Newsreader
385 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
386 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
387 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
390 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.16.
401 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
402 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
404 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
405 being accused of plagiarism:
407 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
408 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
409 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
410 can even read news with it!
412 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
413 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
414 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
415 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
416 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
422 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
423 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
424 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
425 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
426 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
427 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
428 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
429 * Various:: General purpose settings.
430 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
431 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
432 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
433 * Key Index:: Key Index.
435 Other related manuals
437 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
438 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
439 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
440 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
443 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
447 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
448 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
449 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
450 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
451 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
452 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
453 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
454 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
455 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
456 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
457 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
461 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
462 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
463 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
467 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
468 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
469 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
470 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
471 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
472 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
473 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
474 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
475 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
476 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
477 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
478 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
479 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
480 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
481 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
482 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
483 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
487 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
488 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
489 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
493 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
494 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
495 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
496 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
497 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
501 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
502 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
503 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
504 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
505 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
509 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
510 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
511 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
512 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
513 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
514 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
515 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
516 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
517 * Threading:: How threads are made.
518 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
519 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
520 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
521 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
522 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
523 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
524 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
525 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
526 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
527 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
528 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
529 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
530 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
531 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
532 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
533 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
534 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
535 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
536 or reselecting the current group.
537 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
538 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
539 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
540 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
542 Summary Buffer Format
544 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
545 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
546 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
547 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
551 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
552 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
554 Reply, Followup and Post
556 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
557 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
558 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
559 * Canceling and Superseding::
563 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
564 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
565 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
567 * Generic Marking Commands::
568 * Setting Process Marks::
572 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
573 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
574 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
578 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
579 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
581 Customizing Threading
583 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
584 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
585 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
586 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
590 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
591 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
592 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
593 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
594 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
595 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
599 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
600 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
601 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
605 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
606 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
607 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
608 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
609 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
610 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
611 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
612 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
613 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
614 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
616 Alternative Approaches
618 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
619 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
621 Various Summary Stuff
623 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
624 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
625 * Summary Generation Commands::
626 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
630 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
631 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
632 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
633 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
634 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
638 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
639 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
640 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
641 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
642 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
643 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
644 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
645 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
649 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
650 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
651 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
652 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
653 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
654 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
655 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
656 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
660 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
661 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
662 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
663 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
664 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
665 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
666 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
670 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
671 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
675 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
676 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
677 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
681 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
682 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
683 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
684 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
685 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
686 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
687 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
688 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
689 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
690 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
691 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
692 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
693 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
697 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
698 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
699 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
701 Choosing a Mail Back End
703 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
704 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
705 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
706 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
707 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
708 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
709 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
714 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
715 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
716 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
717 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
718 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
719 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
723 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
724 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
725 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
726 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
727 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
731 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
732 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
733 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
734 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
735 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
739 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
743 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
744 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
745 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
749 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
750 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
754 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
755 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
756 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
757 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
758 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
759 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
760 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
761 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
762 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
763 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
764 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
765 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
769 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
770 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
771 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
775 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
776 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
777 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
781 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
782 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
783 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
784 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
785 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
786 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
787 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
788 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
789 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
790 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
791 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
792 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
793 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
794 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
795 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
796 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
797 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
801 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
802 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
803 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
804 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
808 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
809 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
810 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
814 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
815 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
816 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
817 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
818 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
819 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
820 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
821 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
822 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
823 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
824 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
825 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
826 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
827 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
828 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
829 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
830 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
831 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
832 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
836 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
837 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
838 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
839 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
840 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
841 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
842 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
843 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
847 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
848 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
849 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
850 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
854 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
855 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
856 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
857 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
858 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
859 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
863 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
864 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
865 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
866 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
867 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
868 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
869 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
870 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
871 * Frequently Asked Questions::
875 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
876 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
877 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
878 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
879 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
880 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
881 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
882 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
883 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
887 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
888 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
889 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
890 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
891 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
895 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
896 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
897 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
898 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
902 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
903 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
904 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
905 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
906 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
907 * Group Info:: The group info format.
908 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
909 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
910 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
914 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
915 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
916 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
917 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
918 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
919 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
923 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
924 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
928 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
929 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
935 @chapter Starting Gnus
940 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
941 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
944 @findex gnus-other-frame
945 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
946 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
947 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
949 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
950 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
951 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
953 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
954 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
957 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
958 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
959 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
960 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
961 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
962 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
963 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
964 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
965 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
966 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
967 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
971 @node Finding the News
972 @section Finding the News
975 @vindex gnus-select-method
977 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
978 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
979 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
980 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
983 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
984 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
987 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
990 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
993 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
996 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
997 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
998 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1000 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1002 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1003 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1004 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1005 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1006 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1007 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1009 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1010 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1011 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1012 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1014 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1015 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1016 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1017 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1018 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1019 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1020 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1021 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1022 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1025 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1027 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1028 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1029 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1030 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1031 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1032 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1034 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1036 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1037 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1038 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1039 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1040 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1041 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1044 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1045 you would typically set this variable to
1048 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1052 @node The First Time
1053 @section The First Time
1054 @cindex first time usage
1056 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1057 be subscribed by default.
1059 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1060 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1061 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1062 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1065 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1066 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1067 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1069 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1070 help you with most common problems.
1072 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1073 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1077 @node The Server is Down
1078 @section The Server is Down
1079 @cindex server errors
1081 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1082 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1083 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1085 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1086 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1087 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1088 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1089 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1090 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1091 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1093 @findex gnus-no-server
1094 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1096 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1097 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1098 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1099 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1100 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1101 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1102 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1106 @section Slave Gnusae
1109 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1110 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1111 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1112 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1114 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1115 @file{.newsrc} file.
1117 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1118 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1119 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1120 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1121 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1122 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1123 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1126 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1127 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1128 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1129 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1130 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1131 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1132 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1133 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1135 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1136 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1138 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1139 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1140 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1141 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1142 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1144 @node Fetching a Group
1145 @section Fetching a Group
1146 @cindex fetching a group
1148 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1149 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1150 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1151 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1152 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1153 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1159 @cindex subscription
1161 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1162 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1163 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1164 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1165 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1166 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1167 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1168 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1169 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1172 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1173 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1174 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1178 @node Checking New Groups
1179 @subsection Checking New Groups
1181 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1182 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1183 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1184 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1185 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1186 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1187 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1188 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1189 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1190 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1192 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1193 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1194 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1195 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1196 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1197 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1198 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1199 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1200 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1201 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1202 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1204 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1205 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1206 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1207 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1208 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1209 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1212 @node Subscription Methods
1213 @subsection Subscription Methods
1215 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1216 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1217 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1219 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1220 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1222 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1226 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1227 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1228 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1229 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1230 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1232 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1233 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1234 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1235 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1239 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1241 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1243 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1244 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1245 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1246 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1247 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1248 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1249 up. Or something like that.
1251 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1252 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1253 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1254 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1255 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1257 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1258 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1259 Kill all new groups.
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1263 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1264 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1265 topic parameter that looks like
1271 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1274 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1279 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1280 A closely related variable is
1281 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1282 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1283 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1284 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1287 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1288 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1289 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1290 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1293 @node Filtering New Groups
1294 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1296 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1297 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1298 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1301 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1304 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1305 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1306 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1307 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1308 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1309 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1310 subscribing these groups.
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1312 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1314 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1315 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1316 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1317 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1318 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1319 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1320 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1321 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1323 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1324 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1325 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1326 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1327 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1328 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1329 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1330 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1331 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1332 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1335 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1336 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1339 @node Changing Servers
1340 @section Changing Servers
1341 @cindex changing servers
1343 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1344 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1345 very flaky and you want to use another.
1347 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1348 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1352 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1353 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1354 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1355 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1358 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1359 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1360 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1361 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1363 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1364 @findex gnus-change-server
1365 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1366 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1367 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1368 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1369 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1371 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1372 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1373 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1374 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1375 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1377 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1378 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1379 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1380 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1381 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1382 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1384 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1385 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1386 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1387 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1389 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1390 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1391 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1392 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1393 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1394 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1395 cache for all groups).
1399 @section Startup Files
1400 @cindex startup files
1405 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1406 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1408 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1409 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1410 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1411 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1412 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1413 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1414 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1416 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1417 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1418 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1419 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1420 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1421 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1423 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1424 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1425 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1426 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1427 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1428 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1429 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1430 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1431 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1432 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1434 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1435 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1436 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1437 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1438 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1439 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1440 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1441 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1442 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1443 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1444 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1445 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1447 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1448 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1449 @vindex version-control
1450 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1451 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1452 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1453 If you want version control for this file, set
1454 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1455 @code{version-control} variable.
1457 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1458 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1459 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1460 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1461 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1462 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1463 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1464 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1465 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1466 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1469 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1470 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1472 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1473 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1476 @vindex gnus-init-file
1477 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1478 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1479 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1480 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1481 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1482 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1483 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1484 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1485 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1486 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1492 @cindex dribble file
1495 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1496 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1497 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1498 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1499 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1502 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1503 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1506 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1507 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1508 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1510 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1511 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1512 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1513 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1514 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1515 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1517 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1518 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1519 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1522 @node The Active File
1523 @section The Active File
1525 @cindex ignored groups
1527 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1528 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1529 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1531 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1532 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1533 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1534 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1535 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1536 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1537 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1540 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1541 @c if you set it to anything else.
1543 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1545 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1546 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1547 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1549 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1550 you actually subscribe to.
1552 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1553 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1554 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1555 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1557 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1558 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1559 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1560 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1561 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1562 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1564 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1565 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1566 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1569 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1570 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1571 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1572 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1573 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1574 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1576 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1577 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1579 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1580 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1582 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1583 secondary select methods.
1586 @node Startup Variables
1587 @section Startup Variables
1591 @item gnus-load-hook
1592 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1593 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1594 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1595 times you start Gnus.
1597 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1598 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1599 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1601 @item gnus-startup-hook
1602 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1603 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1605 @item gnus-started-hook
1606 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1607 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1610 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1611 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1612 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1613 generating the group buffer.
1615 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1616 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1617 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1618 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1619 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1620 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1621 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1622 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1624 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1625 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1626 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1627 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1628 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1629 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1631 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1632 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1633 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1635 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1636 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1637 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1639 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1640 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1641 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1642 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1648 @chapter Group Buffer
1649 @cindex group buffer
1651 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1653 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1654 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1655 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1656 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1657 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1658 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1659 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1660 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1661 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1662 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1663 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1664 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1665 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1666 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1667 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1668 @c human rights at 9...
1671 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1672 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1673 long as Gnus is active.
1677 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1678 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1679 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1680 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1681 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1682 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1683 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1684 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1690 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1691 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1692 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1693 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1694 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1695 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1696 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1697 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1698 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1699 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1700 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1701 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1702 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1703 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1704 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1705 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1706 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1710 @node Group Buffer Format
1711 @section Group Buffer Format
1714 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1715 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1716 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1720 @node Group Line Specification
1721 @subsection Group Line Specification
1722 @cindex group buffer format
1724 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1725 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1727 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1730 25: news.announce.newusers
1731 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1736 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1737 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1738 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1739 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1741 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1742 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1743 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1744 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1745 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1746 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1748 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1750 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1751 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1752 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1753 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1754 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1756 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1757 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1758 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1760 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1765 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1768 Whether the group is subscribed.
1771 Level of subscribedness.
1774 Number of unread articles.
1777 Number of dormant articles.
1780 Number of ticked articles.
1783 Number of read articles.
1786 Number of unseen articles.
1789 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1790 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1792 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1793 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1794 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1795 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1796 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1797 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1798 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1799 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1802 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1805 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1814 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1815 comment element in the group parameters.
1818 Newsgroup description.
1821 @samp{m} if moderated.
1824 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1830 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1836 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1840 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1843 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1844 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1845 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1846 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1847 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1850 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1852 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1856 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1859 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1863 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1864 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1865 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1866 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1867 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1868 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1873 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1874 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1875 group, or a bogus native group.
1878 @node Group Modeline Specification
1879 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1880 @cindex group modeline
1882 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1883 The mode line can be changed by setting
1884 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1885 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1889 The native news server.
1891 The native select method.
1895 @node Group Highlighting
1896 @subsection Group Highlighting
1897 @cindex highlighting
1898 @cindex group highlighting
1900 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1901 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1902 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1903 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1904 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1906 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1910 (cond (window-system
1911 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1912 (defface my-group-face-1
1913 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1914 (defface my-group-face-2
1915 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1916 (defface my-group-face-3
1917 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1918 (defface my-group-face-4
1919 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1920 (defface my-group-face-5
1921 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1923 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1924 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1925 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1926 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1927 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1928 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1931 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1933 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1940 The number of unread articles in the group.
1944 Whether the group is a mail group.
1946 The level of the group.
1948 The score of the group.
1950 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1952 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1953 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1955 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1956 topic being inserted.
1959 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1960 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1961 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1963 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1964 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1965 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1966 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1967 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1970 @node Group Maneuvering
1971 @section Group Maneuvering
1972 @cindex group movement
1974 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1975 expected, hopefully.
1981 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1982 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1983 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1989 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1990 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1991 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1995 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1996 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2000 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2001 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2005 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2006 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2007 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2011 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2012 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2013 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2016 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2022 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2023 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2024 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2029 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2030 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2031 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2035 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2036 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2037 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2040 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2041 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2042 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2043 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2047 @node Selecting a Group
2048 @section Selecting a Group
2049 @cindex group selection
2054 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2055 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2056 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2057 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2058 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2059 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2060 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2061 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2062 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2063 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2065 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2066 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2067 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2069 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2070 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2075 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2076 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2077 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2078 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2079 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2083 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2084 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2085 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2086 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2087 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2088 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2089 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2090 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2091 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2092 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2095 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2096 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2097 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2098 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2099 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2102 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2103 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2104 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2105 doing any processing of its contents
2106 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2107 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2108 manner will have no permanent effects.
2112 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2113 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2114 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2115 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2116 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2117 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2118 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2119 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2122 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2123 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2124 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2125 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2126 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2127 Which article this is is controlled by the
2128 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2134 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2137 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2140 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2142 @item unseen-or-unread
2143 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2144 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2148 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2152 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2153 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2155 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2156 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2157 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2158 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2162 @node Subscription Commands
2163 @section Subscription Commands
2164 @cindex subscription
2172 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2173 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2174 Toggle subscription to the current group
2175 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2181 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2182 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2183 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2184 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2190 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2191 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2192 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2198 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2199 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2202 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2203 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2204 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2205 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2206 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2212 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2213 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2217 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2218 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2221 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2222 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2223 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2224 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2225 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2226 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2227 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2228 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2229 @file{.newsrc} file.
2233 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2243 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2244 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2245 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2246 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2247 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2248 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2253 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2254 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2255 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2259 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2260 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2261 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2263 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2264 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2265 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2266 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2267 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2268 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2275 @section Group Levels
2279 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2280 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2281 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2282 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2283 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2285 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2291 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2292 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2293 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2294 prompted for a level.
2297 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2298 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2299 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2300 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2301 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2302 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2303 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2304 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2305 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2306 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2307 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2308 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2309 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2310 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2311 reasons of efficiency.
2313 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2314 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2316 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2317 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2318 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2319 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2320 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2321 groups are hidden, in a way.
2323 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2324 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2325 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2326 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2327 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2328 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2330 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2331 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2332 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2333 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2334 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2335 list of killed groups.)
2337 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2338 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2339 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2341 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2342 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2343 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2344 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2345 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2346 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2347 relevant valid ranges.
2349 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2350 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2351 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2352 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2353 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2354 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2357 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2358 one with the best level.
2360 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2361 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2362 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2365 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2366 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2367 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2368 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2371 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2372 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2373 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2374 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2376 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2377 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2378 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2379 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2380 to 5. The default is 6.
2384 @section Group Score
2389 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2390 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2391 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2394 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2395 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2396 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2397 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2398 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2399 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2400 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2401 least significant part.))
2403 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2404 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2405 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2406 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2407 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2408 action after each summary exit, you can add
2409 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2410 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2411 slow things down somewhat.
2414 @node Marking Groups
2415 @section Marking Groups
2416 @cindex marking groups
2418 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2419 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2420 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2421 bidding on those groups.
2423 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2424 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2425 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2433 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2434 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2440 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2441 Remove the mark from the current group
2442 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2446 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2447 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2451 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2452 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2456 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2457 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2461 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2462 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2463 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2466 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2468 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2469 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2470 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2471 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2472 the command to be executed.
2475 @node Foreign Groups
2476 @section Foreign Groups
2477 @cindex foreign groups
2479 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2480 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2481 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2482 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2489 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2490 @cindex making groups
2491 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2492 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2493 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2497 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2498 @cindex renaming groups
2499 Rename the current group to something else
2500 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2501 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2507 @findex gnus-group-customize
2508 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2512 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2513 @cindex renaming groups
2514 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2515 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2519 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2520 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2521 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2525 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2526 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2527 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2531 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2533 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2534 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2539 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2540 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2544 @cindex (ding) archive
2545 @cindex archive group
2546 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2547 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2548 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2549 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2550 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2551 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2552 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2556 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2558 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2559 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2560 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2561 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2565 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2567 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2568 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2569 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2573 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2574 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2576 Make a group based on some file or other
2577 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2578 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2579 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2580 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2581 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2582 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2583 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2584 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2585 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2589 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2590 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2591 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2592 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2596 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2600 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2601 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2602 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2603 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2604 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2605 @xref{Web Searches}.
2607 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2608 to a particular group by using a match string like
2609 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2612 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2613 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2614 This function will delete the current group
2615 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2616 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2617 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2618 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2619 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2623 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2624 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2625 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2629 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2630 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2631 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2634 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2637 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2638 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2639 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2640 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2641 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2642 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2646 @node Group Parameters
2647 @section Group Parameters
2648 @cindex group parameters
2650 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2651 Here's an example group parameter list:
2654 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2658 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2659 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2660 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2661 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2663 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2664 is an alist of regexps and values.
2666 The following group parameters can be used:
2671 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2674 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2677 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2678 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2679 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2680 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2681 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2683 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2684 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2685 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2686 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2687 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2688 list address instead.
2690 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2694 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2697 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2700 It is totally ignored
2701 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2702 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2704 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2705 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2706 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2707 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2708 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2710 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2711 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2712 sending the message.
2714 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2715 @cindex Mail List Groups
2716 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2717 entering summary buffer.
2719 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2724 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2725 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2726 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2727 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2728 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{Mailing
2729 Lists, , Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual} for a complete
2730 treatment of available MFT support.
2732 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2733 directly uses this group parameter.
2737 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2738 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2739 of whether it has any unread articles.
2741 @item broken-reply-to
2742 @cindex broken-reply-to
2743 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2744 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2745 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2746 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2747 broken behavior. So there!
2751 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2752 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2756 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2757 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2758 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2763 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2764 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2765 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2766 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2767 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2768 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2769 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2770 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2771 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2775 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2776 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2777 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2779 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2782 @cindex total-expire
2783 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2784 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2785 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2786 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2789 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2793 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2794 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2795 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2796 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2797 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2798 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2799 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2802 @cindex score file group parameter
2803 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2804 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2805 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2808 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2809 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2810 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2811 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2814 @cindex admin-address
2815 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2816 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2817 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2818 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2822 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2823 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2827 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2830 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2831 entering the group with C-u @var{integer}.
2834 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2838 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2840 Here are some examples:
2844 Display only unread articles.
2847 Display everything except expirable articles.
2849 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2850 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2854 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2855 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2856 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2857 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2858 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2862 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2863 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2864 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2868 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2869 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2870 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2874 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2875 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2876 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2878 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2880 @item ignored-charsets
2881 @cindex ignored-charset
2882 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2883 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2884 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2886 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2889 @cindex posting-style
2890 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2891 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2892 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2893 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2894 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2896 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2897 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2898 like this in the group parameters:
2903 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2904 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2909 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2910 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2914 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2915 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2916 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2917 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2918 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2922 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2923 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2924 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2925 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2927 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2928 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2929 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2930 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2933 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2934 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2938 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2941 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2942 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2943 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2944 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2945 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2946 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2947 @code{eval}ed there.
2949 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2950 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2951 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2952 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2953 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2954 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2955 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2956 parameters for the group.
2959 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2960 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2961 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2962 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2963 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2967 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2968 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2969 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2970 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2971 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2973 @vindex gnus-parameters
2974 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2975 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2979 (setq gnus-parameters
2981 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2982 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2983 (gnus-summary-line-format
2984 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2988 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2992 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2996 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2999 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3000 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3003 @node Listing Groups
3004 @section Listing Groups
3005 @cindex group listing
3007 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3015 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3016 List all groups that have unread articles
3017 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3018 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3019 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3020 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3027 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3028 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3029 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3030 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3031 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3032 unsubscribed groups).
3036 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3037 List all unread groups on a specific level
3038 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3039 with no unread articles.
3043 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3044 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3045 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3046 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3051 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3052 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3056 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3057 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3058 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3062 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3063 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3067 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3068 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3069 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3070 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3071 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3072 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3073 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3074 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3078 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3079 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3080 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3084 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3085 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3086 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3090 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3091 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3095 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3096 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3100 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3101 List groups limited within the current selection
3102 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3106 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3107 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3111 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3112 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3116 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3117 @cindex visible group parameter
3118 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3119 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3120 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3121 get the same effect.
3123 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3124 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3125 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3126 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3127 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3130 @node Sorting Groups
3131 @section Sorting Groups
3132 @cindex sorting groups
3134 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3135 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3136 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3137 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3138 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3139 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3144 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3145 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3146 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3148 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3149 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3150 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3152 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3153 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3154 Sort by group level.
3156 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3157 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3158 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3160 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3161 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3162 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3163 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3165 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3166 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3167 Sort by number of unread articles.
3169 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3170 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3171 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3173 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3174 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3175 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3180 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3181 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3185 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3186 some sorting criteria:
3190 @kindex G S a (Group)
3191 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3192 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3193 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3196 @kindex G S u (Group)
3197 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3198 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3199 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3202 @kindex G S l (Group)
3203 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3204 Sort the group buffer by group level
3205 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3208 @kindex G S v (Group)
3209 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3210 Sort the group buffer by group score
3211 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3214 @kindex G S r (Group)
3215 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3216 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3217 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3220 @kindex G S m (Group)
3221 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3222 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3223 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3226 @kindex G S n (Group)
3227 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3228 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3229 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3233 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3234 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3236 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3237 commands will sort in reverse order.
3239 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3243 @kindex G P a (Group)
3244 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3245 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3246 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3249 @kindex G P u (Group)
3250 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3251 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3252 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3255 @kindex G P l (Group)
3256 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3257 Sort the groups by group level
3258 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3261 @kindex G P v (Group)
3262 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3263 Sort the groups by group score
3264 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3267 @kindex G P r (Group)
3268 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3269 Sort the groups by group rank
3270 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3273 @kindex G P m (Group)
3274 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3275 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3276 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3279 @kindex G P n (Group)
3280 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3281 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3282 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3285 @kindex G P s (Group)
3286 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3287 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3291 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3295 @node Group Maintenance
3296 @section Group Maintenance
3297 @cindex bogus groups
3302 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3303 Find bogus groups and delete them
3304 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3308 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3309 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3310 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3311 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3312 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3316 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3317 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3318 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3319 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3320 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3321 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3324 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3325 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3326 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3327 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3332 @node Browse Foreign Server
3333 @section Browse Foreign Server
3334 @cindex foreign servers
3335 @cindex browsing servers
3340 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3341 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3342 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3343 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3346 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3347 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3348 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3349 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3351 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3356 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3357 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3361 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3362 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3365 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3366 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3367 Enter the current group and display the first article
3368 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3371 @kindex RET (Browse)
3372 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3373 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3377 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3378 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3379 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3385 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3386 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3390 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3391 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3395 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3396 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3397 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3402 @section Exiting Gnus
3403 @cindex exiting Gnus
3405 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3410 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3411 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3412 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3413 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3417 @findex gnus-group-exit
3418 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3419 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3423 @findex gnus-group-quit
3424 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3425 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3428 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3429 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3430 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3431 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3432 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3433 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3438 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3439 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3440 trying to customize meta-variables.
3445 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3446 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3447 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3453 @section Group Topics
3456 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3457 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3458 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3459 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3460 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3461 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3465 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3466 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3477 2: alt.religion.emacs
3480 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3482 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3483 13: comp.sources.unix
3486 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3488 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3489 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3490 is a toggling command.)
3492 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3493 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3494 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3495 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3498 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3499 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3500 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3503 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3507 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3508 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3509 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3510 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3511 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3515 @node Topic Commands
3516 @subsection Topic Commands
3517 @cindex topic commands
3519 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3520 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3521 definitions slightly.
3523 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3524 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3525 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3526 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3527 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3528 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3530 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3537 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3538 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3539 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3543 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3545 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3546 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3547 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3548 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3551 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3552 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3553 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3554 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3558 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3559 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3560 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3561 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3567 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3568 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3569 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3573 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3574 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3575 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3578 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3579 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3580 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3581 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3582 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3584 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3585 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3589 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3590 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3597 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3599 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3600 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3601 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3602 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3603 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3604 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3608 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3614 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3615 Move the current group to some other topic
3616 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3617 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3621 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3622 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3626 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3627 Copy the current group to some other topic
3628 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3629 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3633 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3634 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3635 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3639 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3640 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3641 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3645 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3646 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3647 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3648 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3649 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3650 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3651 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3654 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3655 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3659 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3660 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3661 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3665 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3666 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3667 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3671 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3672 Toggle hiding empty topics
3673 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3677 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3678 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3679 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3680 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3683 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3684 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3685 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3686 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3687 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3690 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3691 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3692 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3693 expiry process (if any)
3694 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3698 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3699 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3702 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3703 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3704 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3708 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3709 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3710 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3713 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3714 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3715 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3718 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3719 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3720 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3724 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3725 @cindex group parameters
3726 @cindex topic parameters
3728 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3729 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3734 @node Topic Variables
3735 @subsection Topic Variables
3736 @cindex topic variables
3738 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3739 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3741 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3742 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3743 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3756 Number of groups in the topic.
3758 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3760 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3763 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3764 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3765 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3768 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3769 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3771 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3772 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3773 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3777 @subsection Topic Sorting
3778 @cindex topic sorting
3780 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3786 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3787 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3788 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3789 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3792 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3793 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3794 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3795 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3798 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3799 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3800 Sort the current topic by group level
3801 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3804 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3805 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3806 Sort the current topic by group score
3807 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3810 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3811 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3812 Sort the current topic by group rank
3813 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3816 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3817 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3818 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3819 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3822 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3823 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3824 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3825 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3829 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3830 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3831 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3832 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3836 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3837 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3841 @node Topic Topology
3842 @subsection Topic Topology
3843 @cindex topic topology
3846 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3852 2: alt.religion.emacs
3855 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3857 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3858 13: comp.sources.unix
3861 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3862 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3863 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3868 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3869 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3873 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3874 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3875 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3876 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3877 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3878 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3880 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3881 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3882 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3885 @node Topic Parameters
3886 @subsection Topic Parameters
3887 @cindex topic parameters
3889 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3890 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3891 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3893 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3898 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3899 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3900 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3903 @item subscribe-level
3904 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3905 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3906 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3910 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3911 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3912 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3913 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3919 2: alt.religion.emacs
3923 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3925 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3926 13: comp.sources.unix
3930 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3931 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3932 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3933 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3934 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3935 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3937 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3938 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3939 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3940 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3941 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3943 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3944 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3945 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3946 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3947 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3948 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3949 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3950 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3953 @node Misc Group Stuff
3954 @section Misc Group Stuff
3957 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3958 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3959 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3960 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3961 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3968 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3969 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3970 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3974 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3975 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3976 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3977 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3978 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3979 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3980 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3984 @findex gnus-group-mail
3985 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3986 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3987 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3988 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3992 @findex gnus-group-news
3993 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3994 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3995 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3997 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3998 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
3999 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4000 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4001 for this to work though.
4005 Variables for the group buffer:
4009 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4010 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4011 is called after the group buffer has been
4014 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4015 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4016 is called after the group buffer is
4017 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4020 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4021 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4022 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4023 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4025 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4026 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4027 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4028 whether they are empty or not.
4030 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4031 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4032 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4033 non-ASCII group names.
4037 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4038 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4041 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4042 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4043 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4044 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4045 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4046 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
4051 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4052 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4057 @node Scanning New Messages
4058 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4059 @cindex new messages
4060 @cindex scanning new news
4066 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4067 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4068 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4069 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4070 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4071 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4076 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4077 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4078 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4079 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4080 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4081 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4082 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4084 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4085 @cindex activating groups
4087 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4088 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4093 @findex gnus-group-restart
4094 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4095 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4096 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4100 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4101 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4103 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4104 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4108 @node Group Information
4109 @subsection Group Information
4110 @cindex group information
4111 @cindex information on groups
4118 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4119 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4122 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4123 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4124 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4125 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4126 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4127 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4128 for fetching the file.
4130 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4131 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4135 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4136 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4138 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4139 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4142 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4143 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4144 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4148 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4149 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4150 @cindex control message
4151 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4152 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4153 group if given a prefix argument.
4155 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4156 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4157 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4158 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4160 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4161 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4162 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4166 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4168 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4169 @cindex describing groups
4170 @cindex group description
4171 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4172 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4173 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4177 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4178 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4179 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4186 @findex gnus-version
4187 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4191 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4192 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4195 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4198 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4199 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4203 @node Group Timestamp
4204 @subsection Group Timestamp
4206 @cindex group timestamps
4208 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4209 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4210 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4213 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4216 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4218 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4219 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4222 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4223 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4226 This will result in lines looking like:
4229 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4230 0: custom 19961002T012713
4233 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4234 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4238 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4239 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4242 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4243 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4247 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4248 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4249 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4250 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4252 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4258 @subsection File Commands
4259 @cindex file commands
4265 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4266 @vindex gnus-init-file
4267 @cindex reading init file
4268 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4269 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4273 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4274 @cindex saving .newsrc
4275 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4276 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4277 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4280 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4281 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4282 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4287 @node Sieve Commands
4288 @subsection Sieve Commands
4289 @cindex group sieve commands
4291 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4292 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4293 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4294 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4295 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4297 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4298 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4299 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4300 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4301 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4302 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4303 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4304 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4305 regenerate the Sieve script.
4307 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4308 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4309 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4310 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4311 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4312 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4313 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4314 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4315 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4316 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4319 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4320 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4325 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4331 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4332 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4333 @cindex generating sieve script
4334 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4335 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4339 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4340 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4341 @cindex updating sieve script
4342 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4343 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4344 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4349 @node Summary Buffer
4350 @chapter Summary Buffer
4351 @cindex summary buffer
4353 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4354 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4356 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4357 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4359 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4362 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4363 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4364 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4365 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4366 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4367 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4368 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4369 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4370 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4371 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4372 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4373 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4374 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4375 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4376 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4377 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4378 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4379 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4380 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4381 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4382 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4383 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4384 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4385 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4386 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4387 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4388 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4389 or reselecting the current group.
4390 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4391 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4392 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4393 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4397 @node Summary Buffer Format
4398 @section Summary Buffer Format
4399 @cindex summary buffer format
4403 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4404 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4405 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4411 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4412 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4413 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4414 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4417 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4418 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4419 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4420 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4421 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4422 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4423 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4424 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4425 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4426 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4427 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4430 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4431 'mail-extract-address-components)
4434 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4435 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4436 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4437 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4440 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4441 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4443 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4444 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4445 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4446 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4447 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4449 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4450 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4451 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4452 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4453 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4454 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4456 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4458 The following format specification characters and extended format
4459 specification(s) are understood:
4465 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4466 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4468 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4469 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4470 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4472 Full @code{From} header.
4474 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4476 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4479 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4480 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4481 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4482 may be more thorough.
4484 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4487 Number of lines in the article.
4489 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4490 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4492 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4493 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4495 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4497 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4498 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4511 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4512 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4513 replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
4516 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4517 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4518 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4519 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4521 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4522 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4523 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4524 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4526 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4527 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4528 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4530 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4531 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4532 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4534 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4535 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4536 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4538 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4539 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4540 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4545 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4546 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4548 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4549 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4551 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4552 for adopted articles.
4554 One space for each thread level.
4556 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4558 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4561 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4562 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4563 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4566 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4568 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4569 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4570 default level. If the difference between
4571 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4572 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4580 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4582 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4588 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4589 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4591 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4592 article has any children.
4598 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4599 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4601 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4602 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4603 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4604 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4605 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4606 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4609 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4610 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4611 There can only be one such area.
4613 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4614 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4615 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4616 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4617 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4618 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4620 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4621 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4623 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4626 @node To From Newsgroups
4627 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4631 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4632 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4633 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4634 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4635 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4639 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4640 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4641 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4645 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4646 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4649 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4650 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4653 @findex gnus-extra-header
4654 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4655 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4656 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4659 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4663 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4664 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4665 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4666 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4667 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4668 headers are used instead.
4672 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4673 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4674 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files.
4675 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4676 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4677 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4680 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4681 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4682 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4683 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4685 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4689 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4691 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4692 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4693 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4694 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4698 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4701 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4702 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4705 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4706 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4707 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4713 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4714 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4717 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4718 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4720 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4721 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4722 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4723 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4725 Here are the elements you can play with:
4731 Unprefixed group name.
4733 Current article number.
4735 Current article score.
4739 Number of unread articles in this group.
4741 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4744 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4745 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4746 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4747 and no unselected ones.
4749 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4750 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4752 Subject of the current article.
4754 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4756 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4758 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4760 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4762 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4764 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4768 @node Summary Highlighting
4769 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4773 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4774 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4775 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4776 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4777 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4779 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4780 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4781 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4782 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4784 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4785 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4786 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4787 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4789 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4790 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4791 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4792 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4793 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4794 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4797 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4798 ((> score default) . bold))
4800 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4801 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4805 @node Summary Maneuvering
4806 @section Summary Maneuvering
4807 @cindex summary movement
4809 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4810 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4812 None of these commands select articles.
4817 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4818 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4819 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4820 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4821 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4825 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4826 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4827 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4828 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4829 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4832 @kindex G g (Summary)
4833 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4834 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4835 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4838 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4839 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4840 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4841 to the group buffer.
4843 Variables related to summary movement:
4847 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4848 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4849 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4850 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4851 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4852 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4853 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4854 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4855 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4856 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4857 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4858 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4859 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4860 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4862 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4863 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4864 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4865 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4866 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4867 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4868 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4870 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4872 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4873 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4874 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4875 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4876 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4878 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4879 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4880 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4881 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4882 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4883 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4884 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4885 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4888 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4889 the given number of lines from the top.
4894 @node Choosing Articles
4895 @section Choosing Articles
4896 @cindex selecting articles
4899 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4900 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4904 @node Choosing Commands
4905 @subsection Choosing Commands
4907 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4908 and they all select and display an article.
4910 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4911 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4915 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4916 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4917 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4918 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4920 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4921 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4922 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4927 @kindex G n (Summary)
4928 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4929 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4930 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4935 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4936 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4937 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4942 @kindex G N (Summary)
4943 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4944 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4949 @kindex G P (Summary)
4950 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4951 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4954 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4955 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4956 Go to the next article with the same subject
4957 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4960 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4961 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4962 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4963 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4967 @kindex G f (Summary)
4969 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4970 Go to the first unread article
4971 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4975 @kindex G b (Summary)
4977 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4978 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4979 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4980 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4985 @kindex G l (Summary)
4986 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4987 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4990 @kindex G o (Summary)
4991 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4993 @cindex article history
4994 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4995 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4996 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4997 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4998 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4999 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5004 @kindex G j (Summary)
5005 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5006 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5007 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5012 @node Choosing Variables
5013 @subsection Choosing Variables
5015 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5018 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5019 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5020 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5021 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5022 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5023 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5025 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5026 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5027 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5028 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5029 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5030 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5032 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5033 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5034 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5035 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5036 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5037 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5038 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5039 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5040 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5041 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5042 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5043 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5044 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5045 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5050 @node Paging the Article
5051 @section Scrolling the Article
5052 @cindex article scrolling
5057 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5058 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5059 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5060 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5061 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5063 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5064 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5065 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5066 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5067 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5068 what is considered uninteresting with
5069 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5070 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5073 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5074 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5075 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5078 @kindex RET (Summary)
5079 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5080 Scroll the current article one line forward
5081 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5084 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5086 Scroll the current article one line backward
5087 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5091 @kindex A g (Summary)
5093 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5094 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5095 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5096 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5097 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5098 the way it came from the server.
5100 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5101 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5102 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5105 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5110 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5115 @kindex A < (Summary)
5116 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5117 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5118 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5123 @kindex A > (Summary)
5124 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5125 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5129 @kindex A s (Summary)
5131 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5132 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5133 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5137 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5138 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5143 @node Reply Followup and Post
5144 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5147 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5148 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5149 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5150 * Canceling and Superseding::
5154 @node Summary Mail Commands
5155 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5157 @cindex composing mail
5159 Commands for composing a mail message:
5165 @kindex S r (Summary)
5167 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5168 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5169 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5170 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5171 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5176 @kindex S R (Summary)
5177 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5178 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5179 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5180 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5181 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5184 @kindex S w (Summary)
5185 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5186 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5187 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5188 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5189 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5192 @kindex S W (Summary)
5193 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5194 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5195 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5196 the process/prefix convention.
5199 @kindex S v (Summary)
5200 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5201 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5202 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5203 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5204 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5205 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5208 @kindex S V (Summary)
5209 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5210 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5211 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5212 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5215 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5216 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5217 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5218 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5221 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5222 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5223 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5224 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5225 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5229 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5230 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5232 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5233 Forward the current article to some other person
5234 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5235 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5236 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5237 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5238 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5239 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5240 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5241 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5242 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5248 @kindex S m (Summary)
5249 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5250 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5251 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5252 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5253 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5258 @kindex S i (Summary)
5259 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5260 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5261 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5262 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5264 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5265 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5266 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5267 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5268 for this to work though.
5271 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5272 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5273 @cindex bouncing mail
5274 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5275 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5276 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5277 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5278 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5279 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5280 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5281 very well fail, though.
5284 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5285 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5286 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5287 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5288 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5289 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5290 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5291 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5292 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5293 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5295 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5296 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5297 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5298 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5299 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5301 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5302 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5305 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5306 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5307 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5308 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5309 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5312 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5314 @cindex crossposting
5315 @cindex excessive crossposting
5316 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5317 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5319 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5320 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5321 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5322 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5323 command understands the process/prefix convention
5324 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5328 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5329 Manual}, for more information.
5332 @node Summary Post Commands
5333 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5335 @cindex composing news
5337 Commands for posting a news article:
5343 @kindex S p (Summary)
5344 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5345 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5346 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5347 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5348 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5353 @kindex S f (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5355 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5356 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5360 @kindex S F (Summary)
5362 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5363 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5364 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5365 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5366 process/prefix convention.
5369 @kindex S n (Summary)
5370 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5371 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5372 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5375 @kindex S N (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5377 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5378 message through mail and include the original message
5379 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5380 the process/prefix convention.
5383 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5384 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5385 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5386 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5387 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5388 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5389 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5390 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5391 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5392 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5393 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5394 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5395 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5398 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5399 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5401 @cindex making digests
5402 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5403 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5404 process/prefix convention.
5407 @kindex S u (Summary)
5408 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5409 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5410 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5411 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5414 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5415 Manual}, for more information.
5418 @node Summary Message Commands
5419 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5423 @kindex S y (Summary)
5424 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5425 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5426 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5427 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5428 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5433 @node Canceling and Superseding
5434 @subsection Canceling Articles
5435 @cindex canceling articles
5436 @cindex superseding articles
5438 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5439 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5441 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5443 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5445 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5446 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5447 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5448 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5449 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5450 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5452 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5453 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5456 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5457 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5458 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5460 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5461 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5462 your original article.
5464 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5466 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5467 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5468 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5471 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5472 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5473 have posted almost the same article twice.
5475 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5476 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5477 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5478 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5479 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5480 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5481 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5482 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5483 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5484 canceled/superseded.
5486 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5488 @node Delayed Articles
5489 @section Delayed Articles
5490 @cindex delayed sending
5491 @cindex send delayed
5493 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5494 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5495 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5496 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5499 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5502 @findex gnus-delay-article
5503 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5504 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5505 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5506 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5510 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5511 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5512 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5513 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5516 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5517 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5518 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5521 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5522 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5523 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5524 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5525 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5526 that means a time tomorrow.
5529 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5530 couple of variables:
5533 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5534 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5535 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5536 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5538 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5539 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5540 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5541 formats described above.
5543 @item gnus-delay-group
5544 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5545 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5546 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5547 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5549 @item gnus-delay-header
5550 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5551 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5552 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5553 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5556 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5557 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5558 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5559 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5560 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5562 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5563 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5564 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5565 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5566 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5567 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5568 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5571 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5572 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5573 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5574 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5575 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5576 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5577 argument is ignored.
5579 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5580 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5581 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5585 @node Marking Articles
5586 @section Marking Articles
5587 @cindex article marking
5588 @cindex article ticking
5591 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5593 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5594 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5595 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5597 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5600 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5601 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5602 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5606 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5610 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5611 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5612 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5616 @node Unread Articles
5617 @subsection Unread Articles
5619 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5624 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5625 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5627 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5628 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5629 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5630 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5631 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5632 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5633 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5636 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5637 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5639 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5640 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5641 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5642 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5646 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5647 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5649 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5654 @subsection Read Articles
5655 @cindex expirable mark
5657 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5662 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5663 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5664 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5667 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5668 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5671 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5672 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5673 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5676 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5677 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5680 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5681 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5684 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5685 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5688 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5689 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5692 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5693 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5696 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5697 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5700 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5701 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5705 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5706 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5707 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5711 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5712 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5714 One more special mark, though:
5718 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5719 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5721 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5722 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5723 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5724 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5730 @subsection Other Marks
5731 @cindex process mark
5734 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5740 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5741 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5742 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5743 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5744 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5747 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5748 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5749 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5750 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5753 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5754 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5755 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5758 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5759 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5760 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5763 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5764 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5765 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5766 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5769 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5770 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5771 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5772 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5773 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5774 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5777 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5778 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5779 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5780 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5783 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5784 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5785 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5786 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5787 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5791 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5792 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5793 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5794 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5795 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5796 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5799 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5800 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5801 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5802 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5803 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5804 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5808 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5809 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5810 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5811 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5812 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5815 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5816 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5817 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5818 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5819 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5820 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5824 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5825 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5826 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5828 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5829 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5830 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5834 @subsection Setting Marks
5835 @cindex setting marks
5837 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5842 @kindex M c (Summary)
5843 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5844 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5845 @cindex mark as unread
5846 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5847 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5853 @kindex M t (Summary)
5854 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5855 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5856 @xref{Article Caching}.
5861 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5862 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5863 Mark the current article as dormant
5864 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5868 @kindex M d (Summary)
5870 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5871 Mark the current article as read
5872 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5876 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5877 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5878 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5883 @kindex M k (Summary)
5884 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5885 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5886 and then select the next unread article
5887 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5891 @kindex M K (Summary)
5892 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5893 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5894 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5895 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5898 @kindex M C (Summary)
5899 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5900 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5901 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5904 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5905 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5906 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5907 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5910 @kindex M H (Summary)
5911 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5912 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5913 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5916 @kindex M h (Summary)
5917 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5918 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5919 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5922 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5923 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5924 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5925 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5928 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5929 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5930 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5931 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5935 @kindex M e (Summary)
5937 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5938 Mark the current article as expirable
5939 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5942 @kindex M b (Summary)
5943 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5944 Set a bookmark in the current article
5945 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5948 @kindex M B (Summary)
5949 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5950 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5951 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5954 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5956 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5957 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5960 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5961 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5962 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5963 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5966 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5968 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5969 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5970 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5973 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5974 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5975 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5976 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5977 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5978 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5979 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5980 The default is @code{t}.
5983 @node Generic Marking Commands
5984 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5986 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5987 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5988 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5989 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5990 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5993 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5994 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5997 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5998 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5999 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6000 to list in this manual.
6002 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6003 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6004 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6005 article, you could say something like:
6008 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6009 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6010 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6016 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6017 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6021 @node Setting Process Marks
6022 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6023 @cindex setting process marks
6025 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6026 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6027 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6028 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6029 commands into the cache. For more information,
6030 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6037 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6039 Mark the current article with the process mark
6040 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6041 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6045 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6046 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6047 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6048 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6051 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6052 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6053 Remove the process mark from all articles
6054 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6057 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6058 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6059 Invert the list of process marked articles
6060 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6063 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6064 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6065 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6066 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6069 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6070 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6071 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6072 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6075 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6076 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6077 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6081 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6082 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6085 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6086 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6087 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6088 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6091 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6092 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6093 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6094 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6097 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6099 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6100 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6103 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6105 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6108 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6109 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6110 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6111 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6114 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6115 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6116 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6119 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6120 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6121 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6122 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6125 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6126 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6127 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6128 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6131 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6132 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6133 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6134 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6137 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6138 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6139 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6144 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6145 set process marks based on article body contents.
6152 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6153 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6154 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6157 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6158 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6159 additional articles.
6165 @kindex / / (Summary)
6166 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6167 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6168 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6172 @kindex / a (Summary)
6173 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6174 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6175 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6179 @kindex / x (Summary)
6180 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6181 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6182 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6183 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6188 @kindex / u (Summary)
6190 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6191 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6192 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6193 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6194 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6197 @kindex / m (Summary)
6198 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6199 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6200 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6203 @kindex / t (Summary)
6204 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6205 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6206 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6207 articles younger than that number of days.
6210 @kindex / n (Summary)
6211 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6212 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6213 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6214 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6217 @kindex / w (Summary)
6218 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6219 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6220 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6224 @kindex / . (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6226 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6227 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6230 @kindex / v (Summary)
6231 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6232 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6233 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6236 @kindex / p (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6238 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6239 group parameter predicate
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6241 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6245 @kindex M S (Summary)
6246 @kindex / E (Summary)
6247 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6248 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6249 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6252 @kindex / D (Summary)
6253 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6254 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6255 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6258 @kindex / * (Summary)
6259 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6260 Include all cached articles in the limit
6261 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6264 @kindex / d (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6266 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6267 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6270 @kindex / M (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6272 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6275 @kindex / T (Summary)
6276 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6277 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6280 @kindex / c (Summary)
6281 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6282 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6283 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6286 @kindex / C (Summary)
6287 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6288 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6289 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6290 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6293 @kindex / N (Summary)
6294 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6295 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6296 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6299 @kindex / o (Summary)
6300 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6301 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6302 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6310 @cindex article threading
6312 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6313 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6314 hierarchical fashion.
6316 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6317 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6318 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6319 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6320 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6321 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6322 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6324 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6328 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6331 A tree-like article structure.
6334 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6337 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6338 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6339 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6340 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6341 called loose threads.
6343 @item thread gathering
6344 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6346 @item sparse threads
6347 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6348 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6354 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6355 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6359 @node Customizing Threading
6360 @subsection Customizing Threading
6361 @cindex customizing threading
6364 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6365 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6366 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6367 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6372 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6375 @cindex loose threads
6378 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6379 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6380 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6381 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6382 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6383 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6385 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6386 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6387 There are four possible values:
6391 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6392 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6393 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6394 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6395 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6400 @cindex adopting articles
6405 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6406 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6407 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6408 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6411 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6412 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6413 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6414 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6415 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6416 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6417 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6418 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6419 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6420 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6423 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6424 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6425 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6429 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6430 display them after one another.
6433 Don't gather loose threads.
6436 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6437 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6438 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6439 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6440 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6441 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6442 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6443 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6444 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6445 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6446 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6448 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6449 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6450 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6453 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6454 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6455 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6456 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6457 simplification is used.
6459 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6460 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6461 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6462 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6464 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6466 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6472 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6473 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6474 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6475 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6480 (mapconcat 'identity
6481 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6483 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6486 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6489 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6490 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6491 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6492 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6493 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6494 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6496 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6499 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6500 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6501 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6503 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6504 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6507 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6508 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6509 Remove excessive whitespace.
6511 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6512 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6513 Remove all whitespace.
6516 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6519 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6520 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6521 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6522 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6523 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6524 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6525 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6526 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6528 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6529 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6530 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6531 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6532 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6533 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6534 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6535 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6536 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6540 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6541 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6542 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6543 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6545 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6546 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6547 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6550 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6554 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6555 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6561 @node Filling In Threads
6562 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6565 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6566 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6567 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6568 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6569 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6570 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6571 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6572 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6573 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6574 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6575 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6576 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6579 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6580 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6581 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6583 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6584 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6585 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6586 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6587 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6588 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6589 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6590 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6591 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6592 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6593 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6594 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6595 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6596 @code{nil} by default.
6598 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6599 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6600 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6601 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6602 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6603 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6604 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6606 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6607 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6608 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6613 @node More Threading
6614 @subsubsection More Threading
6617 @item gnus-show-threads
6618 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6619 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6620 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6621 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6622 slower and more awkward.
6624 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6625 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6626 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6629 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6630 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6631 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6636 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6637 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6638 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6641 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6642 unread, but you get my drift.)
6645 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6646 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6647 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6648 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6649 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6650 threads are expunged.
6652 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6653 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6654 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6657 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6658 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6659 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6660 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6661 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6662 result in a new thread.
6664 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6665 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6666 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6669 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6670 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6671 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6672 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6673 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6674 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6675 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6676 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6677 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6678 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6679 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6684 @node Low-Level Threading
6685 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6689 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6690 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6691 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6693 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6694 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6695 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6696 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6697 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6698 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6699 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6700 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6701 meaningful. Here's one example:
6704 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6706 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6707 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6709 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6711 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6718 @node Thread Commands
6719 @subsection Thread Commands
6720 @cindex thread commands
6726 @kindex T k (Summary)
6727 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6728 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6729 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6730 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6731 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6736 @kindex T l (Summary)
6737 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6738 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6739 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6740 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6743 @kindex T i (Summary)
6744 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6745 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6746 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6749 @kindex T # (Summary)
6750 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6751 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6752 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6755 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6756 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6757 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6758 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6761 @kindex T T (Summary)
6762 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6763 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6766 @kindex T s (Summary)
6767 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6768 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6769 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6772 @kindex T h (Summary)
6773 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6774 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6777 @kindex T S (Summary)
6778 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6779 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6782 @kindex T H (Summary)
6783 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6784 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6787 @kindex T t (Summary)
6788 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6789 Re-thread the current article's thread
6790 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6791 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6794 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6795 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6796 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6797 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6801 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6802 understand the numeric prefix.
6807 @kindex T n (Summary)
6809 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6811 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6812 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6813 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6816 @kindex T p (Summary)
6818 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6820 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6821 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6822 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6825 @kindex T d (Summary)
6826 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6827 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6830 @kindex T u (Summary)
6831 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6832 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6835 @kindex T o (Summary)
6836 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6837 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6840 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6841 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6842 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6843 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6844 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6845 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6846 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6847 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6848 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6849 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6850 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6851 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6855 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6856 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6858 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6859 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6860 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6861 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6862 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6863 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6864 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6865 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6866 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6867 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6868 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6869 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6870 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6872 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6873 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6874 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6875 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6876 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6877 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6878 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6879 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6881 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6882 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6883 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6885 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6886 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6887 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6888 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6889 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6890 ascending article order.
6892 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6893 by number, you could do something like:
6896 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6897 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6898 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6899 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6902 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6903 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6904 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6905 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6906 which the articles arrived.
6908 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6912 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6914 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6915 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6918 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6919 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6920 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6921 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6924 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6925 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6926 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6927 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6928 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6929 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6930 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6931 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6932 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6933 variable. It is very similar to the
6934 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6935 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6936 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6937 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6938 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6939 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6940 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6942 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6946 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6947 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6948 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6953 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6954 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6955 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6956 @cindex article pre-fetch
6959 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6960 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6961 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6962 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6963 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6965 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6966 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6968 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6969 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6970 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6971 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6972 connection is blocked.
6974 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6975 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6976 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6977 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6979 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6980 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6981 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6982 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6985 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
6988 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6989 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6990 happen automatically.
6992 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6993 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6994 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6995 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6996 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6997 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6998 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7000 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7001 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7002 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7003 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7004 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7005 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7006 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7007 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7008 article data structure as the only parameter.
7010 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7011 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7014 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7015 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7016 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7017 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7020 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7023 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7024 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7025 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7027 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7028 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7029 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7030 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7034 Remove articles when they are read.
7037 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7040 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7042 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7043 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7044 @c from the next group.
7047 @node Article Caching
7048 @section Article Caching
7049 @cindex article caching
7052 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
7053 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7054 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7055 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7056 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7058 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7060 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7061 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7062 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7063 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7064 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7065 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7066 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7067 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7069 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7070 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7071 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7072 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7073 as dormant, and don't worry.
7075 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7077 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7078 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7079 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7080 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7081 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7082 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7083 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7084 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7085 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7086 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7088 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7089 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7090 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7091 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7092 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7093 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7094 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7095 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7096 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7097 not then be downloaded by this command.
7099 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7100 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7101 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7102 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7103 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7104 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7106 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7107 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7108 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7109 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7110 variables, the group is not cached.
7112 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7113 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7114 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7115 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7116 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7117 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7118 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7119 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7120 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7123 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7124 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7125 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7126 where, isn't that cool?
7128 @node Persistent Articles
7129 @section Persistent Articles
7130 @cindex persistent articles
7132 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7133 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7134 useful in my opinion.
7136 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7137 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7138 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7139 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7140 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7141 the expiry going on at the news server.
7143 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7144 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7145 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7151 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7152 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7155 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7156 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7157 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7158 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7162 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7164 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7165 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7166 interested in persistent articles:
7169 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7173 @node Article Backlog
7174 @section Article Backlog
7176 @cindex article backlog
7178 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7179 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7180 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7181 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7182 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7183 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7184 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7185 increase memory usage some.
7187 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7188 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7189 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7190 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7191 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7192 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7193 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7195 The default value is 20.
7198 @node Saving Articles
7199 @section Saving Articles
7200 @cindex saving articles
7202 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7203 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7204 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7205 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7206 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7208 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7209 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7210 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7212 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7213 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7214 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7216 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7217 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7218 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7219 deleted before saving.
7225 @kindex O o (Summary)
7227 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7228 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7229 Save the current article using the default article saver
7230 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7233 @kindex O m (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7235 Save the current article in mail format
7236 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7239 @kindex O r (Summary)
7240 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7241 Save the current article in rmail format
7242 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7245 @kindex O f (Summary)
7246 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7247 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7248 Save the current article in plain file format
7249 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7252 @kindex O F (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7254 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7255 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7258 @kindex O b (Summary)
7259 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7260 Save the current article body in plain file format
7261 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7264 @kindex O h (Summary)
7265 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7266 Save the current article in mh folder format
7267 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7270 @kindex O v (Summary)
7271 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7272 Save the current article in a VM folder
7273 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7277 @kindex O p (Summary)
7279 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7280 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7281 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7282 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7283 complete headers in the piped output.
7286 @kindex O P (Summary)
7287 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7288 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7289 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7290 external program Muttprint (see
7291 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7292 options to use is controlled by the variable
7293 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7297 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7298 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7299 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7300 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7301 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7302 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7303 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7304 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7305 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7306 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7307 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7308 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7312 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7313 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7314 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7315 functions below, or you can create your own.
7319 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7320 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7321 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7322 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7323 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7324 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7325 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7327 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7328 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7329 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7330 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7331 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7332 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7334 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7335 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7336 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7337 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7338 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7339 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7340 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7342 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7343 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7344 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7345 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7346 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7347 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7349 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7350 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7351 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7352 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7353 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7355 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7356 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7357 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7358 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7359 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7362 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7363 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7364 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7365 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7366 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7368 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7369 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7370 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7371 reader to use this setting.
7374 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7375 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7376 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7377 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7380 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7381 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7382 available functions that generate names:
7386 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7387 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7388 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7390 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7391 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7392 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7394 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7395 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7396 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7398 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7399 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7400 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7402 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7403 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7404 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7407 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7408 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7409 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7410 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7411 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7415 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7416 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7417 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7418 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7421 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7422 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7423 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7424 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7425 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7426 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7427 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7428 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7429 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7431 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7432 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7433 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7434 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7436 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7437 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7438 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7441 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7442 lots of mail groups called things like
7443 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7444 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7445 following will do just that:
7448 (defun my-save-name (group)
7449 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7450 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7452 (setq gnus-split-methods
7453 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7458 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7459 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7460 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7461 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7462 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7463 all the files in the top level directory
7464 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7465 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7466 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7467 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7469 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7470 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7471 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7472 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7473 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7476 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7480 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7481 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7482 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7485 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7486 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7487 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7488 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7491 @node Decoding Articles
7492 @section Decoding Articles
7493 @cindex decoding articles
7495 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7496 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7499 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7500 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7501 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7502 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7503 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7504 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7508 @cindex article series
7509 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7510 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7511 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7512 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7513 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7515 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7516 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7517 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7519 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7520 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7521 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7523 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7524 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7525 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7528 @node Uuencoded Articles
7529 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7531 @cindex uuencoded articles
7536 @kindex X u (Summary)
7537 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7538 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7539 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7542 @kindex X U (Summary)
7543 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7544 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7545 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7548 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7549 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7550 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7553 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7554 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7555 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7556 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7560 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7561 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7562 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7563 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7564 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7566 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7567 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7568 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7569 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7572 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7573 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7574 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7575 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7576 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7577 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7581 @node Shell Archives
7582 @subsection Shell Archives
7584 @cindex shell archives
7585 @cindex shared articles
7587 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7588 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7589 some commands to deal with these:
7594 @kindex X s (Summary)
7595 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7596 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7599 @kindex X S (Summary)
7600 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7601 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7604 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7605 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7606 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7609 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7610 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7611 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7612 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7616 @node PostScript Files
7617 @subsection PostScript Files
7623 @kindex X p (Summary)
7624 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7625 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7628 @kindex X P (Summary)
7629 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7630 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7631 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7634 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7635 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7636 View the current PostScript series
7637 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7640 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7641 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7642 View and save the current PostScript series
7643 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7648 @subsection Other Files
7652 @kindex X o (Summary)
7653 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7654 Save the current series
7655 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7658 @kindex X b (Summary)
7659 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7660 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7661 doesn't really work yet.
7665 @node Decoding Variables
7666 @subsection Decoding Variables
7668 Adjective, not verb.
7671 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7672 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7673 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7677 @node Rule Variables
7678 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7679 @cindex rule variables
7681 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7682 variables are of the form
7685 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7692 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7693 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7695 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7696 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7699 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7700 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7703 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7704 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7705 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7706 user and default view rules.
7708 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7709 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7710 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7715 @node Other Decode Variables
7716 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7719 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7721 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7722 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7723 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7724 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7725 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7729 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7730 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7733 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7734 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7735 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7738 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7739 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7740 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7741 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7742 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7745 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7746 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7747 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7749 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7750 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7751 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7752 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7753 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7756 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7757 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7758 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7760 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7761 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7762 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7763 looking for files to display.
7765 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7766 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7767 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7770 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7771 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7772 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7775 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7776 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7777 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7780 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7781 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7782 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7785 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7786 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7787 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7788 decoded articles as unread.
7790 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7791 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7792 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7793 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7795 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7796 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7797 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7799 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7800 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7802 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7803 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7804 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7805 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7807 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7808 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7809 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7810 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7811 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7812 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7813 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7814 simply dropped them.
7819 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7820 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7824 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7825 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7826 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7827 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7828 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7829 for you when you post the article.
7831 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7832 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7833 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7834 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7836 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7837 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7838 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7839 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7840 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7841 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7842 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7844 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7845 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7846 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7847 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7848 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7849 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7850 Default is @code{t}.
7856 @subsection Viewing Files
7857 @cindex viewing files
7858 @cindex pseudo-articles
7860 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7861 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7862 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7863 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7864 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7865 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7866 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7868 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7869 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7870 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7871 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7873 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7874 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7875 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7877 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7878 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7879 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7880 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7881 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7883 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7884 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7885 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7886 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7887 a list of parameters to that command.
7889 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7890 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7891 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7893 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7894 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7895 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7898 @node Article Treatment
7899 @section Article Treatment
7901 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7902 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7903 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7904 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7905 these articles easier.
7908 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7909 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7910 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7911 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7912 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7913 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7914 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7915 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7916 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7917 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7921 @node Article Highlighting
7922 @subsection Article Highlighting
7923 @cindex highlighting
7925 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7926 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7931 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7932 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7933 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7934 Do much highlighting of the current article
7935 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7936 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7939 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7940 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7941 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7942 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7943 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7944 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7945 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7946 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7947 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7948 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7949 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7950 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7953 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7954 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7955 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7957 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7960 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7962 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7963 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7964 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7966 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7967 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7968 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7970 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7971 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7972 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7973 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7974 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7975 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7977 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7978 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7979 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7981 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7982 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7983 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7985 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7986 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7987 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7988 that it's a citation.
7990 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7991 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7992 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7994 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7995 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7996 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7998 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7999 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8000 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8001 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8007 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8008 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8009 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8010 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8011 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8012 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8013 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8014 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8019 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8022 @node Article Fontisizing
8023 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8025 @cindex article emphasis
8027 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8028 @kindex W e (Summary)
8029 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8030 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8031 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8032 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8034 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8035 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8036 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8037 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8038 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8039 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8040 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8041 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8045 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8046 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8047 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8056 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8057 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8058 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8059 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8060 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8061 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8062 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8063 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8064 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8065 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8066 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8067 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8068 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8070 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8071 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8072 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8076 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8079 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8081 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8082 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8083 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8084 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8086 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8089 @node Article Hiding
8090 @subsection Article Hiding
8091 @cindex article hiding
8093 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8094 too much cruft in most articles.
8099 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8100 @findex gnus-article-hide
8101 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8102 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8103 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8106 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8107 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8108 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8112 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8113 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8114 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8115 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8118 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8119 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8120 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8124 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8125 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8126 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8127 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8128 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8129 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8130 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8131 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8135 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8136 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8137 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8138 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8143 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8144 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8145 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8146 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8149 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8150 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8151 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8152 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8155 @cindex stripping advertisements
8156 @cindex advertisements
8157 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8158 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8159 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8160 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8161 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8162 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8163 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8164 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8165 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8166 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8169 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8170 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8171 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8175 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8176 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8177 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8178 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8179 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8180 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8181 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8182 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8183 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8184 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8185 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8188 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8194 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8195 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8196 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8197 customizing the hiding:
8201 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8202 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8203 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8204 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8205 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8206 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8207 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8212 Starting point of the hidden text.
8214 Ending point of the hidden text.
8216 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8218 Number of lines of hidden text.
8221 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8222 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8223 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8224 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8225 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8230 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8231 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8233 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8234 following two variables:
8237 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8238 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8239 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8240 50), hide the cited text.
8242 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8243 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8244 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8249 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8250 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8251 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8252 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8253 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8254 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8258 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8259 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8260 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8262 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8263 citation customization.
8265 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8269 @node Article Washing
8270 @subsection Article Washing
8272 @cindex article washing
8274 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8275 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8277 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8278 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8281 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8282 articles by default.
8287 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8288 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8292 Force redisplaying of the current article
8293 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8294 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8295 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8296 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8299 @kindex W l (Summary)
8300 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8301 Remove page breaks from the current article
8302 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8306 @kindex W r (Summary)
8307 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8308 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8309 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8310 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8311 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8312 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8314 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8315 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8316 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8317 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8320 @kindex W m (Summary)
8321 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8322 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8326 @kindex W t (Summary)
8328 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8329 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8330 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8333 @kindex W v (Summary)
8334 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8335 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8336 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8339 @kindex W o (Summary)
8340 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8341 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8344 @kindex W d (Summary)
8345 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8346 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8348 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8350 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8351 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8352 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8353 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8356 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8357 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8358 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8359 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8362 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8363 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8364 @cindex Outlook Express
8365 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8366 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8367 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8370 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8371 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8372 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8373 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8374 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8375 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8376 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8377 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8378 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8379 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8382 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8383 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8384 Repair a broken attribution line.
8385 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8388 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8389 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8390 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8391 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8394 @kindex W w (Summary)
8395 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8396 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8398 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8402 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8403 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8404 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8407 @kindex W C (Summary)
8408 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8409 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8410 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8413 @kindex W c (Summary)
8414 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8415 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8416 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8417 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8418 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8421 @kindex W q (Summary)
8422 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8423 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8424 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8425 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8426 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8427 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8428 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8429 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8430 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8433 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8435 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8436 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8437 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8438 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8439 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8441 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8444 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8445 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8446 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8447 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8448 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8451 @kindex W u (Summary)
8452 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8453 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8454 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8455 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8456 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8459 @kindex W h (Summary)
8460 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8461 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8462 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8463 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8465 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8467 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8468 The default is to use the function specified by
8469 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8470 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8471 @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8472 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8480 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8484 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8487 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8490 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8495 @kindex W b (Summary)
8496 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8497 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8498 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8501 @kindex W B (Summary)
8502 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8503 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8504 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8507 @kindex W p (Summary)
8508 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8509 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8510 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8511 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8512 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8513 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8514 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8517 @kindex W s (Summary)
8518 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8519 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8520 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8523 @kindex W a (Summary)
8524 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8525 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8526 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8529 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8530 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8531 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8532 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8535 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8536 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8537 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8538 lines with a single empty line.
8539 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8542 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8543 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8544 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8545 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8548 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8549 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8550 Do all the three commands above
8551 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8554 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8556 Remove all blank lines
8557 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8560 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8561 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8562 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8563 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8566 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8567 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8568 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8569 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8573 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8576 @node Article Header
8577 @subsection Article Header
8579 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8584 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8585 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8586 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8589 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8590 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8591 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8592 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8595 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8596 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8597 Fold all the message headers
8598 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8602 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8603 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8604 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8609 @node Article Buttons
8610 @subsection Article Buttons
8613 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8614 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8615 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8616 button on these references.
8618 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8619 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8620 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8621 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8622 one that handles article heads:
8626 @item gnus-button-alist
8627 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8628 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8631 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8637 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8638 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8639 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8640 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8641 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8644 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8645 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8646 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8649 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8650 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8651 avoid false matches.
8654 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8657 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8658 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8662 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8665 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8668 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8669 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8670 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8671 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8672 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8675 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8678 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8680 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8681 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8682 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8683 default values of the variables above.
8685 @item gnus-article-button-face
8686 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8687 Face used on buttons.
8689 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8690 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8691 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8695 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8699 @subsection Article Date
8701 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8702 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8703 when the article was sent.
8708 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8709 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8710 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8711 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8714 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8715 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8717 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8718 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8721 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8722 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8723 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8726 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8727 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8728 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8729 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8732 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8733 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8734 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8735 @findex format-time-string
8736 Display the date using a user-defined format
8737 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8738 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8739 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8740 for a list of possible format specs.
8743 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8744 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8745 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8746 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8747 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8748 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8751 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8754 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8755 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8756 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8759 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8760 into wonderful absurdities.
8762 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8765 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8768 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8769 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8773 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8774 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8775 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8776 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8777 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8778 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8779 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8783 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8784 preferred format automatically.
8787 @node Article Display
8788 @subsection Article Display
8793 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8794 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8796 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8797 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8799 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8800 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8802 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8803 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8805 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8810 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8811 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8812 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8813 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8816 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8817 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8818 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8819 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8822 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8823 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8824 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8827 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8828 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8829 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8832 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8834 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8835 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8838 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8839 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8840 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8841 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8844 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8845 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8846 Remove all images from the article buffer
8847 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8853 @node Article Signature
8854 @subsection Article Signature
8856 @cindex article signature
8858 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8859 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8860 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8861 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8862 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8863 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8864 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8865 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8866 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8869 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8870 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8871 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8872 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8873 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8874 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8875 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8876 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8879 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8882 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8883 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8884 signature when displaying articles.
8888 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8891 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8894 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8895 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8897 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8898 in question is not a signature.
8901 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8902 listed above. Here's an example:
8905 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8906 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8909 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8910 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8911 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8912 signature after all.
8915 @node Article Miscellania
8916 @subsection Article Miscellania
8920 @kindex A t (Summary)
8921 @findex gnus-article-babel
8922 Translate the article from one language to another
8923 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8929 @section MIME Commands
8930 @cindex MIME decoding
8932 @cindex viewing attachments
8934 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8935 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8941 @kindex K v (Summary)
8942 View the @sc{mime} part.
8945 @kindex K o (Summary)
8946 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8949 @kindex K c (Summary)
8950 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8953 @kindex K e (Summary)
8954 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8957 @kindex K i (Summary)
8958 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8961 @kindex K | (Summary)
8962 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8965 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8970 @kindex K b (Summary)
8971 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8972 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8976 @kindex K m (Summary)
8977 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8978 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8979 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8980 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8981 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8984 @kindex X m (Summary)
8985 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8986 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8987 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8988 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8991 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8992 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8993 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8994 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8997 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8998 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8999 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9000 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9003 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9004 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9005 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9006 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9008 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9009 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9010 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9011 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9012 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9013 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9016 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9017 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9018 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
9019 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9026 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9027 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9028 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9029 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9032 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9035 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9039 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9040 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9041 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9042 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
9043 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9044 default is @code{nil}.
9046 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9047 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9048 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
9049 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9050 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9051 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9052 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9054 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9055 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9056 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9057 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9058 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9059 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9060 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9061 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
9063 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9064 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9065 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9066 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9067 displayed. This variable overrides
9068 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9069 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9072 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9073 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9074 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9076 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9077 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9078 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9079 value is @code{nil}.
9081 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9082 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9083 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9084 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9085 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9086 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9087 save all jpegs into some directory).
9089 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9092 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9093 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9095 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9096 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9097 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9098 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9099 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9102 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9103 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9104 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9106 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9107 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9108 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9109 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9111 Ready-made functions include@*
9112 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9113 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9114 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9115 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9116 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9117 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9118 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9119 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9120 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9121 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9122 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9123 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9125 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9126 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9128 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9129 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9130 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9133 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9134 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9135 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9136 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9140 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9149 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9150 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9151 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9152 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9153 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9154 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9155 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9157 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9158 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9159 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9160 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9162 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9163 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9164 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9165 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9166 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9167 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9168 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9169 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9170 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9172 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9173 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9174 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9175 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9176 quoted-printable header encoding.
9178 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9179 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9180 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9184 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9187 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9188 means encode all charsets),
9190 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9191 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9192 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9199 @cindex coding system aliases
9200 @cindex preferred charset
9202 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9204 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9205 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9208 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9209 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9212 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9213 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9215 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9218 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9221 This will almost do the right thing.
9223 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9227 (codepage-setup 1251)
9228 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9232 @node Article Commands
9233 @section Article Commands
9240 @kindex A P (Summary)
9241 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9242 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9243 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9244 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9245 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9246 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9251 @node Summary Sorting
9252 @section Summary Sorting
9253 @cindex summary sorting
9255 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9256 can't really see why you'd want that.
9261 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9262 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9263 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9266 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9267 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9268 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9271 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9272 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9273 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9276 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9277 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9278 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9281 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9282 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9283 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9286 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9287 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9288 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9291 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9292 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9293 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9296 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9297 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9298 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9301 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9302 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9303 Sort using the default sorting method
9304 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9307 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9308 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9309 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9310 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9311 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9315 @node Finding the Parent
9316 @section Finding the Parent
9317 @cindex parent articles
9318 @cindex referring articles
9323 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9324 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9325 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9326 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9327 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9328 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9329 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9330 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9331 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9333 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9334 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9335 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9336 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9337 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9341 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9342 @kindex A R (Summary)
9343 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9344 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9347 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9348 @kindex A T (Summary)
9349 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9350 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9351 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9352 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9353 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9354 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9355 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9357 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9358 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9359 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9360 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9361 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9362 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9365 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9366 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9368 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9369 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9370 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9371 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9372 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9373 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9374 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9377 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9378 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9379 by giving this command a prefix.
9381 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9382 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9383 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9384 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9385 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9386 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9389 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9390 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9391 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9394 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9395 then ask Google if that fails:
9398 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9400 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9403 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9404 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9405 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9406 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9407 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9408 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9409 support this at all.
9412 @node Alternative Approaches
9413 @section Alternative Approaches
9415 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9416 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9419 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9420 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9425 @subsection Pick and Read
9426 @cindex pick and read
9428 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9429 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9430 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9431 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9433 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9434 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9435 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9436 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9437 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9438 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9440 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9445 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9446 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9447 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9448 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9449 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9450 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9451 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9452 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9455 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9456 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9457 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9458 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9462 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9463 Unpick the thread or article
9464 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9465 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9466 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9467 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9468 the thread or article at that line.
9472 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9473 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9474 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9475 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9476 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9477 will still be visible when you are reading.
9481 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9482 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9483 which is mapped to the same function
9484 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9486 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9489 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9492 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9493 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9495 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9496 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9497 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9499 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9500 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9501 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9502 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9503 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9504 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9505 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9509 @subsection Binary Groups
9510 @cindex binary groups
9512 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9513 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9514 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9515 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9516 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9517 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9518 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9521 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9522 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9523 command, when you have turned on this mode
9524 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9526 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9527 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9531 @section Tree Display
9534 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9535 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9536 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9537 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9540 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9543 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9544 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9545 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9547 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9548 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9549 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9550 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9551 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9553 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9554 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9555 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9556 default is @code{modeline}.
9558 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9559 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9560 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9561 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9562 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9563 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9564 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9570 The name of the poster.
9572 The @code{From} header.
9574 The number of the article.
9576 The opening bracket.
9578 The closing bracket.
9583 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9585 Variables related to the display are:
9588 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9589 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9590 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9591 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9592 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9593 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9595 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9596 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9597 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9598 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9602 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9603 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9604 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9605 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9606 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9607 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9608 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9609 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9610 other windows displayed next to it.
9612 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9616 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9617 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9620 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9621 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9622 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9623 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9624 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9625 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9626 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9630 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9633 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9643 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9647 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9648 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9650 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9652 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9657 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9658 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9659 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9662 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9663 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9664 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9665 (gnus-add-configuration
9669 (summary 0.75 point)
9674 @xref{Window Layout}.
9677 @node Mail Group Commands
9678 @section Mail Group Commands
9679 @cindex mail group commands
9681 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9682 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9684 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9685 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9690 @kindex B e (Summary)
9691 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9692 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9693 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9694 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9695 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9698 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9699 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9700 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9701 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9702 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9703 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9706 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9707 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9708 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9709 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9710 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9711 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9714 @kindex B m (Summary)
9716 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9717 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9718 Move the article from one mail group to another
9719 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9720 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9723 @kindex B c (Summary)
9725 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9726 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9727 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9728 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9729 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9732 @kindex B B (Summary)
9733 @cindex crosspost mail
9734 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9735 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9736 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9737 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9738 be properly updated.
9741 @kindex B i (Summary)
9742 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9743 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9744 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9745 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9748 @kindex B I (Summary)
9749 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9750 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9751 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9752 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9755 @kindex B r (Summary)
9756 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9757 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9758 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9759 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9760 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9761 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9762 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9763 (which is the default).
9767 @kindex B w (Summary)
9769 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9770 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9771 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9772 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9773 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9774 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9775 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9778 @kindex B q (Summary)
9779 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9780 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9781 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9782 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9785 @kindex B t (Summary)
9786 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9787 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9788 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9791 @kindex B p (Summary)
9792 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9793 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
9794 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9795 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9796 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9797 article from your news server (or rather, from
9798 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9799 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9800 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9801 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9802 just not have arrived yet.
9805 @kindex K E (Summary)
9806 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9807 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9808 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9809 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9810 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9814 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9815 @cindex moving articles
9816 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9817 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9818 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9819 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9820 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9821 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9822 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9825 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9826 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9827 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9828 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9832 @node Various Summary Stuff
9833 @section Various Summary Stuff
9836 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9837 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9838 * Summary Generation Commands::
9839 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9843 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
9844 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
9845 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
9846 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
9847 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
9848 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
9850 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9851 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9852 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9854 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9855 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9856 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9857 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9858 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9859 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9862 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9863 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9864 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9865 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9866 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9868 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9869 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9870 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9873 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9874 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9875 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9876 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9877 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9878 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9879 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9880 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9881 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9882 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9884 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9885 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9886 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9887 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9888 list of articles to be selected.
9890 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9891 the list in one particular group:
9894 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9895 (if (string= group "some.group")
9896 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9900 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9901 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9902 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9903 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9904 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9905 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9906 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9907 buffers. For example:
9910 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9911 '(message-use-followup-to
9912 (gnus-visible-headers .
9913 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9919 @node Summary Group Information
9920 @subsection Summary Group Information
9925 @kindex H f (Summary)
9926 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9927 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9928 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9929 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9930 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9931 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9932 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9933 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9934 be used for fetching the file.
9937 @kindex H d (Summary)
9938 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9939 Give a brief description of the current group
9940 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9941 rereading the description from the server.
9944 @kindex H h (Summary)
9945 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9946 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9947 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9950 @kindex H i (Summary)
9951 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9952 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9956 @node Searching for Articles
9957 @subsection Searching for Articles
9962 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9963 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9964 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9965 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9968 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9969 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9970 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9971 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9975 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9976 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9977 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9978 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9979 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9980 search backward instead.
9982 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9983 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9986 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9987 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9988 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9989 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9992 @node Summary Generation Commands
9993 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9998 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9999 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10000 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10003 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10004 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10005 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10006 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10009 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10010 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10011 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10012 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10017 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10018 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10024 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10025 @kindex A D (Summary)
10026 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10027 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10028 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10029 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10030 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10031 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10032 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10033 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10037 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10038 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10039 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10040 several documents into one biiig group
10041 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10042 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10043 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10044 command understands the process/prefix convention
10045 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10048 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10049 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10050 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10051 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10052 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10053 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10056 @kindex = (Summary)
10057 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10058 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10059 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10062 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10063 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10064 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10065 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10068 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10069 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10070 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10071 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10076 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10077 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10078 @cindex summary exit
10079 @cindex exiting groups
10081 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10082 group and return you to the group buffer.
10088 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10089 @kindex q (Summary)
10090 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10091 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10092 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10093 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10094 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10095 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10096 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10097 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10098 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10099 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10100 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10101 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10105 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10106 @kindex Q (Summary)
10107 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10108 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10109 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10113 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10114 @kindex c (Summary)
10115 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10116 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10117 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10118 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10121 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10122 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10123 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10124 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10127 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10128 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10129 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10130 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10133 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10134 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10135 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10136 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10137 all articles, both read and unread.
10141 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10142 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10143 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10144 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10145 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10146 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10147 articles, both read and unread.
10150 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10151 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10152 Exit the group and go to the next group
10153 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10156 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10157 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10158 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10159 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10162 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10163 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10164 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10165 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10166 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10167 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10170 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10171 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10172 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10173 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10175 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10176 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10177 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10178 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10179 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10180 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10181 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10182 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10183 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10184 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10185 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10186 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10188 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10190 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10191 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10192 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10193 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10194 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10195 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10196 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10197 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10198 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10201 @node Crosspost Handling
10202 @section Crosspost Handling
10206 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10207 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10208 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10209 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10210 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10211 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10214 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10215 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10216 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10217 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10218 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10220 @cindex cross-posting
10223 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10224 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10225 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10226 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10227 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10228 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10229 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10230 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10231 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10232 the cross reference mechanism.
10234 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10235 @cindex overview.fmt
10236 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10237 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10238 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10239 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10240 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10241 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10244 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10245 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10246 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10251 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10254 @node Duplicate Suppression
10255 @section Duplicate Suppression
10257 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10258 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10259 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10260 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10265 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10266 is evil and not very common.
10269 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10270 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10273 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10274 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10277 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10280 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10281 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10283 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10284 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10285 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10286 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10287 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10288 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10289 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10292 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10293 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10294 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10295 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10296 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10297 saw the article in.
10300 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10301 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10302 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10304 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10305 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10306 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10307 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10308 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10309 session are suppressed.
10311 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10312 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10313 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10314 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10316 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10317 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10318 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10319 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10322 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10323 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10324 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10325 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10326 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10327 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10328 to you to figure out, I think.
10333 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10334 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10335 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10339 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10340 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10341 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10342 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10345 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10346 or newer is recommended.
10350 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10351 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10354 @item mm-verify-option
10355 @vindex mm-verify-option
10356 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10357 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10358 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10360 @item mm-decrypt-option
10361 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10362 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10363 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10364 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10367 @vindex mml1991-use
10368 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10369 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10370 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10373 @vindex mml2015-use
10374 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10375 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10376 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10381 @section Mailing List
10383 @kindex A M (summary)
10384 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10385 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10386 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10387 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10390 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10395 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10396 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10397 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10400 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10401 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10402 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10405 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10406 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10407 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10411 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10412 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10413 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10416 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10417 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10418 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10421 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10422 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10423 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10427 @node Article Buffer
10428 @chapter Article Buffer
10429 @cindex article buffer
10431 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10432 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10433 tell Gnus otherwise.
10436 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10437 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10438 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10439 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10440 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10444 @node Hiding Headers
10445 @section Hiding Headers
10446 @cindex hiding headers
10447 @cindex deleting headers
10449 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10450 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10452 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10453 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10454 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10455 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10456 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10457 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10458 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10459 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10460 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10462 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10466 @item gnus-visible-headers
10467 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10468 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10469 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10470 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10472 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10473 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10476 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10479 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10482 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10483 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10484 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10485 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10486 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10487 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10489 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10490 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10493 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10496 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10499 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10500 variable will have no effect.
10504 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10505 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10506 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10507 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10508 the headers are to be displayed.
10510 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10511 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10514 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10517 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10518 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10520 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10521 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10522 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10523 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10524 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10525 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10526 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10529 These conditions are:
10532 Remove all empty headers.
10534 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10535 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10537 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10538 @code{From} header.
10540 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10543 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10544 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10546 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10547 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10549 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10550 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10552 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10555 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10557 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10560 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10563 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10564 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10567 This is also the default value for this variable.
10571 @section Using MIME
10574 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10575 while people stand around yawning.
10577 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10578 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10580 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10581 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10582 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10584 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10585 @findex gnus-display-mime
10586 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10587 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10588 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10589 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10591 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10595 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10596 @item RET (Article)
10597 @kindex RET (Article)
10598 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10599 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10600 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10601 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10602 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10603 object is displayed inline.
10605 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10606 @item M-RET (Article)
10607 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10609 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10610 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10612 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10614 @kindex t (Article)
10615 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10616 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10618 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10620 @kindex C (Article)
10621 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10622 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10624 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10626 @kindex o (Article)
10627 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10628 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10630 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10631 @item C-o (Article)
10632 @kindex C-o (Article)
10633 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10634 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10635 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10636 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10637 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10638 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10640 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10642 @kindex d (Article)
10643 Delete the @sc{mime} object from the article and replace it with some
10644 information about the removed @sc{mime} object
10645 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10647 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10649 @kindex c (Article)
10650 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10651 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10652 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10653 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10654 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10656 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10658 @kindex p (Article)
10659 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10660 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10661 @file{.mailcap} file.
10663 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10665 @kindex i (Article)
10666 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10667 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10668 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10669 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10670 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10673 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10675 @kindex E (Article)
10676 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10677 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10678 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10680 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10682 @kindex e (Article)
10683 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10684 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10686 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10688 @kindex | (Article)
10689 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10691 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10693 @kindex . (Article)
10694 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10695 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10699 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10700 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10703 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10704 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10705 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10706 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10707 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10708 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10709 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10710 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10711 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10713 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10715 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10718 @node Customizing Articles
10719 @section Customizing Articles
10720 @cindex article customization
10722 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10723 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10724 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10725 called automatically when you select the articles.
10727 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10728 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10729 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10730 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10732 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10733 for sensible values.
10737 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10740 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10743 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10746 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10749 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10753 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10754 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10755 regexps in the list.
10758 A list where the first element is not a string:
10760 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10761 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10762 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10766 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10771 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10772 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10773 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10774 considered to contain just a single part.
10776 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10777 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10778 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10779 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10780 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10781 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10782 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10784 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10785 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10786 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10787 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10790 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10791 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10793 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10795 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10796 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10797 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10798 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10799 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10800 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10801 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10802 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10803 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10804 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10806 @xref{Article Washing}.
10808 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10809 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10810 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10811 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10812 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10813 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10814 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10816 @xref{Article Date}.
10818 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10819 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10820 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10824 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10826 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10828 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10829 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10830 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10834 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10838 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10839 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10840 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10841 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10842 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10843 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10844 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10845 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10846 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
10847 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
10849 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10851 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10852 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10853 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10855 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10857 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10858 @item gnus-treat-translate
10859 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10861 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10862 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10863 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10864 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10866 @xref{Article Header}.
10871 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10872 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10873 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10874 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10875 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10879 @node Article Keymap
10880 @section Article Keymap
10882 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10883 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10884 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10885 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10888 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10893 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10894 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10895 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10896 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
10899 @kindex DEL (Article)
10900 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10901 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10902 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
10905 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10906 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10907 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10908 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10909 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10912 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10913 @findex gnus-article-mail
10914 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10915 given a prefix, include the mail.
10918 @kindex s (Article)
10919 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10920 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10921 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10924 @kindex ? (Article)
10925 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10926 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10927 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10930 @kindex TAB (Article)
10931 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10932 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10933 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10936 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10937 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10938 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10941 @kindex R (Article)
10942 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10943 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10944 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10945 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10949 @kindex F (Article)
10950 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10951 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10952 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10953 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10961 @section Misc Article
10965 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10966 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10967 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10968 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10971 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10972 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10974 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10975 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10977 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10978 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10979 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10980 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10981 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10982 the contents of the article buffer.
10984 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10985 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10986 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10988 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10989 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10990 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10991 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10993 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10994 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10995 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10996 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10997 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11003 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11004 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11005 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11010 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11013 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11016 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11017 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11018 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11021 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11024 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11027 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11032 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
11036 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11038 @item gnus-break-pages
11039 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11040 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11041 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11042 paging will not be done.
11044 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11045 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11046 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11050 @cindex internationalized domain names
11051 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11052 @item gnus-use-idna
11053 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11054 internationalized domain names inside @sc{From:}, @sc{To:} and
11055 @sc{Cc:} headers. This requires GNU Libidn
11056 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}, and this variable is only
11057 enabled if you have installed it.
11062 @node Composing Messages
11063 @chapter Composing Messages
11064 @cindex composing messages
11067 @cindex sending mail
11072 @cindex using s/mime
11073 @cindex using smime
11075 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11076 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11077 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11078 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11079 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11080 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11083 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11084 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11085 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11086 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11087 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11088 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11089 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11090 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11093 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11094 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11100 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11103 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11104 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11105 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11106 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11107 @code{nil} include all headers.
11109 @item gnus-add-to-list
11110 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11111 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11112 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11114 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11115 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11116 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11117 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11118 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11119 confirmation is should be asked for.
11121 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11122 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11124 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11125 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11126 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11127 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11128 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11133 @node Posting Server
11134 @section Posting Server
11136 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11137 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11139 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11141 It can be quite complicated.
11143 @vindex gnus-post-method
11144 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11145 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11146 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11147 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11148 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11149 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11150 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11151 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11152 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11155 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11158 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11159 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11160 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11161 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11163 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11164 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11166 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11167 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11170 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11171 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11173 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11174 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11175 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11176 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11177 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11178 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11179 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11180 package correctly. An example:
11183 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11184 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11187 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11188 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11189 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11191 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11192 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11193 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11195 @node Mail and Post
11196 @section Mail and Post
11198 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11202 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11203 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11204 @cindex mailing lists
11206 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11207 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11208 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11209 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11210 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11211 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11212 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11213 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11214 still a pain, though.
11216 @item gnus-user-agent
11217 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11220 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11221 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11222 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11223 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11224 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11225 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11226 use a valid format, see RFC 2616."
11230 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11231 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11232 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11235 @findex ispell-message
11237 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11240 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11241 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11244 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11248 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11249 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11251 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11254 Modify to suit your needs.
11257 @node Archived Messages
11258 @section Archived Messages
11259 @cindex archived messages
11260 @cindex sent messages
11262 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11263 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11264 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11265 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11268 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11269 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11272 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11273 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11274 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11277 (nnfolder "archive"
11278 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11279 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11280 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11281 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11284 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11285 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11286 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11287 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11290 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11291 '(nnfolder "archive"
11292 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11293 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11294 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11297 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11299 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11300 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11301 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11303 This variable can be used to do the following:
11308 Messages will be saved in that group.
11310 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11311 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11312 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11313 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11314 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11315 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11316 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11317 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11321 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11323 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11324 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11327 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11332 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11334 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11337 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11339 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11342 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11344 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11345 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11346 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11347 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11350 More complex stuff:
11352 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11353 '((if (message-news-p)
11358 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11359 messages in one file per month:
11362 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11363 '((if (message-news-p)
11365 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11368 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11369 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11371 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11372 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11373 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11374 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11375 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11376 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11377 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11378 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11379 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11380 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11382 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11383 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11384 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11385 this will disable archiving.
11388 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11389 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11390 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11391 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11392 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11395 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11396 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11397 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11400 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11401 but the latter is the preferred method.
11403 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11404 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11405 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11407 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11408 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11409 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11410 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11411 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11412 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11413 changed in the future.
11418 @node Posting Styles
11419 @section Posting Styles
11420 @cindex posting styles
11423 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11425 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11426 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11427 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11430 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11431 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11432 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11433 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11434 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11439 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11440 (organization "What me?"))
11442 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11443 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11444 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11447 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11448 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11449 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11450 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11451 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11452 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11453 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11454 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11456 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11457 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11458 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11459 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11460 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11461 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11462 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11463 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11464 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11465 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11466 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11467 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11468 said to @dfn{match}.
11470 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11471 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11472 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11473 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11474 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11475 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11476 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11477 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11478 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11479 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11482 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11483 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11484 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11485 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11486 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11487 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11488 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11489 references chars lines xref extra.
11491 @vindex message-reply-headers
11493 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11494 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11495 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11497 @findex message-mail-p
11498 @findex message-news-p
11500 So here's a new example:
11503 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11505 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11507 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11508 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11510 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11511 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11512 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11513 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11514 (signature my-news-signature))
11515 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11516 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11517 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11518 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11519 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11520 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11521 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11522 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11523 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11524 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11526 (From (save-excursion
11527 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11528 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11530 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11533 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11534 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11535 if you fill many roles.
11542 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11543 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11544 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11545 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11546 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11548 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11549 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11550 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11551 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11552 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11556 @vindex nndraft-directory
11557 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11558 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11559 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11560 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11561 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11562 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11564 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11565 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11566 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11567 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11568 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11569 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11570 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11571 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11572 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11574 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11575 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11576 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11577 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11578 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11579 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11580 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11581 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11582 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11583 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11584 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11585 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11586 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11587 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11589 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11590 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11591 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11593 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11594 @kindex D e (Draft)
11595 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11596 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11597 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11599 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11602 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11603 @kindex D s (Draft)
11604 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11605 @kindex D S (Draft)
11606 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11607 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11608 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11609 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11610 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11613 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11614 @kindex D t (Draft)
11615 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11616 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11617 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11620 @node Rejected Articles
11621 @section Rejected Articles
11622 @cindex rejected articles
11624 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11625 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11626 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11627 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11629 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11630 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11631 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11632 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11633 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11635 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11636 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11637 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11639 @node Signing and encrypting
11640 @section Signing and encrypting
11642 @cindex using s/mime
11643 @cindex using smime
11645 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11646 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11647 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11648 (@pxref{Security}).
11650 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11651 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11652 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11653 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11654 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11655 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11656 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11657 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11658 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11659 automatically encrypted messages.
11661 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11662 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11663 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11668 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11669 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11671 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11674 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11675 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11677 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11680 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11681 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11683 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11686 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11687 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11689 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11692 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11693 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11695 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11698 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11699 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11701 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11704 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11705 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11706 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11710 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11712 @node Select Methods
11713 @chapter Select Methods
11714 @cindex foreign groups
11715 @cindex select methods
11717 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11718 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11719 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11720 personal mail group.
11722 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11723 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11724 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11725 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11726 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11727 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11729 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11730 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11732 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11735 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11736 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11737 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11738 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11739 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11741 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11744 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11745 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11746 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11747 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11748 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11749 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11750 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11751 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11755 @node Server Buffer
11756 @section Server Buffer
11758 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11759 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11760 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11761 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11762 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11763 back end represents a virtual server.
11765 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11766 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11767 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11768 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11770 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11771 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11772 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11773 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11774 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11775 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11776 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11778 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11779 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11782 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11783 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11784 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11785 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11786 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11787 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11788 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11791 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11792 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11795 @node Server Buffer Format
11796 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11797 @cindex server buffer format
11799 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11800 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11801 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11802 variable, with some simple extensions:
11807 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11810 The name of this server.
11813 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11816 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11819 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11820 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11821 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11822 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11832 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11835 @node Server Commands
11836 @subsection Server Commands
11837 @cindex server commands
11843 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11844 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11848 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11849 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11852 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11853 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11854 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11858 @findex gnus-server-exit
11859 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11863 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11864 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11868 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11869 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11873 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11874 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11878 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11879 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11883 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11884 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11885 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11890 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11891 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11892 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11893 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11898 @node Example Methods
11899 @subsection Example Methods
11901 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11904 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11907 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11913 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11914 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11917 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11918 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11920 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11921 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11925 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11928 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11929 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11931 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11932 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11933 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11937 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11940 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11943 Here's the method for a public spool:
11947 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11948 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11954 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11955 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11956 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11957 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11958 should probably look something like this:
11962 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11963 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11964 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11965 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11968 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11969 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11970 configuration to the example above:
11973 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11976 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11978 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11979 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11980 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11984 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11985 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11986 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11987 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11990 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11991 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11992 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11993 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11996 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11997 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11999 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12000 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12002 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12003 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
12004 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12006 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
12008 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
12009 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12010 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12011 will contain the following:
12021 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
12022 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
12023 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12026 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12027 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12028 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12031 @node Server Variables
12032 @subsection Server Variables
12034 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12035 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12036 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12037 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12038 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12040 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12041 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12042 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12043 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12044 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12045 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12046 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12047 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12048 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12052 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12053 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12054 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12058 @node Servers and Methods
12059 @subsection Servers and Methods
12061 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12062 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12063 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12064 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12068 @node Unavailable Servers
12069 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12071 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12072 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12073 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12074 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12075 actually the case or not.
12077 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12078 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12079 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12080 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12081 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12082 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12083 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12084 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12086 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12087 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12089 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12090 with the following commands:
12096 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12097 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12098 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12102 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12103 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12104 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12108 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12109 Mark the current server as unreachable
12110 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12113 @kindex M-o (Server)
12114 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12115 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12116 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12119 @kindex M-c (Server)
12120 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12121 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12122 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12126 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12127 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12128 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12132 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12133 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12139 @section Getting News
12140 @cindex reading news
12141 @cindex news back ends
12143 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12144 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
12145 or it can read from a local spool.
12148 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
12149 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12157 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
12158 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
12159 server as the, uhm, address.
12161 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12162 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12163 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12164 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12166 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12167 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12168 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12170 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12175 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12176 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12177 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12179 @cindex authentification
12180 @cindex nntp authentification
12181 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12182 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12183 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12184 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
12185 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12186 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12187 present in this hook.
12189 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12190 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12191 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12192 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12193 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12194 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12195 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12196 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12197 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12198 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12199 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12200 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12204 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12207 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12209 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12210 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12211 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12212 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12213 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12214 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12215 @samp{force} is explained below.
12219 Here's an example file:
12222 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12223 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12226 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12227 have to be first, for instance.
12229 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12230 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12231 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12232 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12233 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12234 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12235 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12237 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12238 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12244 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12245 previously mentioned.
12247 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12249 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12250 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12251 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12252 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12253 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12256 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12257 '(("innd" (ding))))
12260 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12262 The default value is
12265 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12266 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12267 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12270 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12271 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12273 @item nntp-maximum-request
12274 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12275 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12276 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12277 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12278 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12279 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12280 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12282 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12283 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12284 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12285 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12286 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12287 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12288 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12289 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12290 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12291 no timeouts are done.
12293 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12294 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12295 @c @cindex PPP connections
12296 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12297 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12298 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12299 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12300 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12301 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12302 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12303 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12304 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12305 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12307 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12308 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12309 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12310 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12311 @c described above.
12313 @item nntp-server-hook
12314 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12315 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12318 @item nntp-buggy-select
12319 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12320 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12322 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12323 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12324 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12325 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12328 @item nntp-xover-commands
12329 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12332 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12333 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12337 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12338 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12339 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12340 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12341 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12342 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12343 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12344 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12345 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12346 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12347 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12349 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12350 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12351 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12353 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12354 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12355 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12356 server closes connection.
12358 @item nntp-record-commands
12359 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12360 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12361 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12362 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12363 that doesn't seem to work.
12365 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12366 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12367 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12368 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12369 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12370 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12371 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12372 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12374 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12375 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12376 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12377 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12378 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12379 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12380 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12383 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12386 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12387 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12389 @item nntp-read-timeout
12390 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12391 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12392 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12393 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12394 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12400 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12401 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12402 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12406 @node Direct Functions
12407 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12408 @cindex direct connection functions
12410 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12411 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12412 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12413 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12416 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12417 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12418 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12421 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12422 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12423 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12424 this you must have GNUTLS installed (see
12425 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}). You then define a server
12429 ;; "nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12430 ;; however, gnutls-cli -p doesn't like named ports.
12432 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12433 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12434 (nntp-port-number )
12435 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12438 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12439 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12440 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
12441 you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12442 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}. You then
12443 define a server as follows:
12446 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12447 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports.
12449 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12450 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12451 (nntp-port-number 563)
12452 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12455 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12456 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12457 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12458 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12459 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12460 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12461 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12462 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12466 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12467 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12468 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12471 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12472 session, which is not a good idea.
12476 @node Indirect Functions
12477 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12478 @cindex indirect connection functions
12480 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12481 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12482 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12483 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12484 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12485 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12488 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12489 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12490 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12491 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12492 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12494 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12497 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12498 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12499 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12500 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12502 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12503 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12504 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12505 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12506 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12507 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12508 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12509 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12512 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12513 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12514 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12515 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12517 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12520 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12521 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12522 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12525 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12526 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12527 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12528 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12530 @item nntp-via-user-password
12531 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12532 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12534 @item nntp-via-envuser
12535 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12536 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12537 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12538 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12540 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12541 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12542 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12543 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12550 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12555 @item nntp-via-user-name
12556 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12557 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12559 @item nntp-via-address
12560 @vindex nntp-via-address
12561 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12566 @node Common Variables
12567 @subsubsection Common Variables
12569 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12570 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12575 @item nntp-pre-command
12576 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12577 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12578 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12579 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12580 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12583 @vindex nntp-address
12584 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12586 @item nntp-port-number
12587 @vindex nntp-port-number
12588 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is
12589 @samp{nntp}. If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{tls}/@sc{ssl}, you may
12590 want to use integer ports rather than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563}
12591 instead of @samp{snews} or @samp{nntps}), because external TLS/SSL
12592 tools may not work with named ports.
12594 @item nntp-end-of-line
12595 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12596 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12597 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12598 using a non native connection function.
12600 @item nntp-telnet-command
12601 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12602 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12603 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12604 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12606 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12607 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12608 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12615 @subsection News Spool
12619 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12620 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12621 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12624 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12625 anything else) as the address.
12627 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12628 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12629 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12630 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12634 @item nnspool-inews-program
12635 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12636 Program used to post an article.
12638 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12639 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12640 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12642 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12643 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12644 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12645 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12647 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12648 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12649 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12650 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12652 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12653 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12654 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12656 @item nnspool-active-file
12657 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12658 The name of the active file.
12660 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12661 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12662 The name of the group descriptions file.
12664 @item nnspool-history-file
12665 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12666 The name of the news history file.
12668 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12669 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12670 The name of the active date file.
12672 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12673 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12674 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12677 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12678 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12680 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12681 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12682 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12688 @section Getting Mail
12689 @cindex reading mail
12692 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12696 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12697 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12698 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12699 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12700 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12701 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12702 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12703 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12704 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12705 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12706 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12707 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12708 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12712 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12713 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12715 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12716 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12717 of a culture shock.
12719 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12720 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12722 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12723 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12724 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12725 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12727 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12729 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12730 deleted? How awful!
12732 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12733 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12734 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12735 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12738 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12739 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12740 they want to treat a message.
12742 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12743 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12744 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12745 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12746 archived somewhere else.
12748 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12749 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12750 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12751 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12752 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12754 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12755 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12756 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12758 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12759 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12762 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12763 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12764 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12765 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12766 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12768 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12769 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12770 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12771 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12772 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12773 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12777 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12778 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12780 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12781 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12782 and things will happen automatically.
12784 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
12785 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12788 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12791 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12792 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12793 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12794 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12795 like any other group.
12797 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12800 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12801 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12802 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12806 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12807 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12808 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12811 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12812 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12813 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12816 @node Splitting Mail
12817 @subsection Splitting Mail
12818 @cindex splitting mail
12819 @cindex mail splitting
12821 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12822 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12823 to be split into groups.
12826 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12827 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12828 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12829 ("mail.other" "")))
12832 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12833 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12834 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12835 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12836 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12837 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12838 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12841 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12844 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12845 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12846 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12847 mail belongs in that group.
12849 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12850 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
12851 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12852 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12853 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
12854 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
12856 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12857 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12858 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12859 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12860 thinks should carry this mail message.
12862 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12863 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12864 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12865 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12867 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12868 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12869 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12870 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12871 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
12873 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12876 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12877 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12878 links. If that's the case for you, set
12879 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12880 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12882 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12883 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12884 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12885 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12886 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12887 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12890 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12891 Header lines longer than the value of
12892 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12895 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12896 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12897 By default the splitting codes @sc{mime} decodes headers so you can match
12898 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12899 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12900 can be turned off completely by binding
12901 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12902 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12904 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12905 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12906 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12907 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12908 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12909 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12910 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12913 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12914 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12915 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12916 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12917 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12918 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12919 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12920 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12921 month's rent money.
12925 @subsection Mail Sources
12927 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12928 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12932 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12933 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12934 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12938 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12939 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12941 @cindex mail server
12944 @cindex mail source
12946 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12947 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12952 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12955 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12956 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12957 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12960 The following mail source types are available:
12964 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12970 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12971 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12972 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12976 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12979 An example file mail source:
12982 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12985 Or using the default file name:
12991 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12992 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12993 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12996 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13000 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13003 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13007 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13010 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13012 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13015 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13019 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13020 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
13021 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
13022 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
13023 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
13024 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
13025 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13026 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
13027 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
13028 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13030 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13031 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13032 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
13033 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13039 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13043 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13047 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13048 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13049 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13050 predicate are considered.
13054 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13058 An example directory mail source:
13061 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13066 Get mail from a POP server.
13072 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
13073 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13076 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
13077 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13078 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13079 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13080 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13083 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
13087 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
13091 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
13092 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13095 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13098 The valid format specifier characters are:
13102 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13103 included in this string.
13106 The name of the server.
13109 The port number of the server.
13112 The user name to use.
13115 The password to use.
13118 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13119 corresponding keywords.
13122 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13123 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13126 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13127 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13130 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
13131 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
13134 @item :authentication
13135 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13136 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13141 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13142 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13144 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
13145 default user name, and default fetcher:
13151 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13154 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13155 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13158 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13161 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13165 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13166 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13167 contains exactly one mail.
13173 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13174 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13177 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13178 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13180 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13181 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13182 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13185 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13186 from locking problems).
13190 Two example maildir mail sources:
13193 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13194 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13198 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13203 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13204 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13205 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13206 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13209 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, TLS/SSL and STARTTLS support you
13210 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13216 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13217 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13220 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13221 @samp{993} for TLS/SSL connections.
13224 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13228 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13232 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13233 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13234 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13235 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13237 @item :authentication
13238 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13239 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13240 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13241 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13244 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13245 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13246 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13252 The valid format specifier characters are:
13256 The name of the server.
13259 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13262 The port number of the server.
13265 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13266 corresponding keywords.
13269 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13270 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13273 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13274 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13275 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13276 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13277 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13278 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13281 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13282 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13283 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13284 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13287 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13288 after finishing the fetch.
13292 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13295 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13297 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13301 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13302 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13303 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13305 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13306 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13308 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13314 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13315 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13318 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13322 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13326 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13327 folder after finishing the fetch.
13331 An example webmail source:
13334 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13336 :password "secret")
13341 @item Common Keywords
13342 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13348 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13349 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13353 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13358 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13359 useful when you use local mail and news.
13364 @subsubsection Function Interface
13366 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13367 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13368 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13369 consider the following mail-source setting:
13372 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13373 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13376 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13377 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13378 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13379 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13380 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13382 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13385 @node Mail Source Customization
13386 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13388 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13389 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13393 @item mail-source-crash-box
13394 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13395 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13396 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13398 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13399 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13400 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13401 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13402 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13403 (This will only happen, when reveiving new mail). You may also set
13404 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13405 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13407 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13408 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13409 If @code{non-nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13410 files. This variable only applies when
13411 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13413 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13414 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13415 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13417 @item mail-source-directory
13418 @vindex mail-source-directory
13419 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13420 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13421 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13424 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13425 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13426 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13427 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13428 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13429 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13431 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13432 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13433 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13435 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13436 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13437 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13438 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13443 @node Fetching Mail
13444 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13446 @vindex mail-sources
13447 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13448 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13449 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13450 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13452 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13453 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13456 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13457 mail server, you'd say something like:
13462 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13463 :password "secret")))
13466 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13470 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13471 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13474 :password "secret")))
13478 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13479 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13480 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13481 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13482 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13483 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13487 @node Mail Back End Variables
13488 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13490 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13494 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13495 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13496 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13497 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13499 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13500 @item nnmail-split-hook
13501 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13502 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13503 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13504 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13505 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13506 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13507 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13508 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13509 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13512 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13513 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13514 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13515 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13516 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13517 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13518 starting to handle the new mail) and
13519 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13520 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13521 default file modes the new mail files get:
13524 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13525 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13527 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13528 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13531 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13532 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13533 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13534 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13535 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13536 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13537 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13539 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13540 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13541 @findex delete-file
13542 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13544 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13545 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13546 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13547 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13548 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13550 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13551 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13552 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13553 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13554 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13556 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13557 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13558 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13563 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13564 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13565 @cindex mail splitting
13566 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13568 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13569 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13570 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13571 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13572 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13573 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13575 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13578 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13579 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13580 ;; from real errors.
13581 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13583 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13584 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13585 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13586 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13587 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13588 ;; Other mailing lists...
13589 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13590 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13591 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13592 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13593 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13594 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13595 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13596 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13598 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13599 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13603 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13604 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13605 the five possible split syntaxes:
13610 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13611 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13615 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13616 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13617 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13618 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13619 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13620 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13621 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13622 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13625 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13626 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13627 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13628 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13631 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13632 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13635 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13636 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13639 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13640 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13641 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13642 function should return a @var{split}.
13645 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13646 body of the messages:
13649 (defun split-on-body ()
13651 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13652 (goto-char (point-min))
13653 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13657 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13658 when the @code{:} function is run.
13661 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13662 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13663 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13664 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13667 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13671 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13672 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13673 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13674 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13675 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13677 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13678 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13679 are expanded as specified by the variable
13680 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13681 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13684 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13685 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13686 when all this splitting is performed.
13688 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13689 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13690 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13693 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13696 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13697 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13699 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13700 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13701 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13702 groupings 1 through 9.
13704 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13705 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13706 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13707 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13708 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13709 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13710 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13711 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13712 it once per thread.
13714 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13715 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13716 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13719 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13720 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13722 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13723 ;; other splits go here
13727 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13728 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13729 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13730 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13731 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13732 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13733 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13734 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13735 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13736 unless the group name matches the regexp
13737 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13738 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13739 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13740 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13741 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13742 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13743 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13744 messages goes into the new group.
13746 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13747 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13748 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13749 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13750 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13754 @node Group Mail Splitting
13755 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13756 @cindex mail splitting
13757 @cindex group mail splitting
13759 @findex gnus-group-split
13760 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13761 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13762 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13763 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13764 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13765 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13766 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13767 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13769 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13770 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13771 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13772 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13774 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13775 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13776 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13777 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13778 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13779 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13780 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13782 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13783 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13784 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13785 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13786 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13787 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13788 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13790 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13791 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13792 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13793 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13794 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13795 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13796 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13797 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13798 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13799 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13800 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13801 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13802 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13804 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13809 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13810 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13812 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13813 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13814 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13815 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13817 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13820 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13821 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13822 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13825 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13826 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13827 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13831 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13832 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13833 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13837 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13840 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13841 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13842 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13843 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13844 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13845 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13846 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13847 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13848 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13850 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13851 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13852 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13853 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13854 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13855 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13856 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13857 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13858 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13860 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13861 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13862 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13863 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13864 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13865 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13868 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13871 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13872 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13873 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13874 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13875 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13878 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13879 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13880 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13881 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13883 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13884 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13885 @cindex incorporating old mail
13886 @cindex import old mail
13888 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13889 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13890 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13893 Doing so can be quite easy.
13895 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13896 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13897 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13898 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13899 your @code{nnml} groups.
13905 Go to the group buffer.
13908 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13909 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13912 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
13915 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13916 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13919 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13920 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13923 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13924 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13925 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13926 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13927 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13929 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13930 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13931 using the new mail back end.
13934 @node Expiring Mail
13935 @subsection Expiring Mail
13936 @cindex article expiry
13938 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13939 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13940 different approach to mail reading.
13942 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13943 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13944 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13945 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13946 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13947 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13950 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13951 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13952 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13953 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13954 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13955 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13956 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13957 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13958 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13960 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13961 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13962 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13963 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13964 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13965 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13966 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13969 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13970 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13971 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13972 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13973 into its own group.)
13975 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13976 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13977 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13978 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13979 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13980 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13981 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13982 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13985 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13986 Groups that match the regular expression
13987 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13988 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13989 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13991 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13992 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13993 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13994 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13995 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13997 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13999 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14000 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14001 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14004 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14005 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14006 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14007 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14008 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14010 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14011 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14014 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14015 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14018 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14019 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14021 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14022 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14023 don't really mix very well.
14025 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14026 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14027 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14028 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14031 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14032 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14033 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14034 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14037 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14039 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14041 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14043 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14045 ((string= group "important")
14051 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14052 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14054 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14055 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14056 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14059 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14060 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14062 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14063 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14064 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14065 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14066 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14067 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14068 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14069 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14070 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14071 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14072 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14073 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
14074 name or @code{delete}.
14076 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14078 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14081 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14082 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14083 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14084 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14085 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14088 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14089 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14090 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14091 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14092 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14095 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14096 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14097 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14098 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14099 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14100 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14102 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14103 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14104 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14105 easier for procmail users.
14107 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14108 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14109 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14110 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14111 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14112 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14113 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14114 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14115 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14116 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14117 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14118 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14119 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14122 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14124 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14125 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14126 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14127 auto-expire turned on.
14131 @subsection Washing Mail
14132 @cindex mail washing
14133 @cindex list server brain damage
14134 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14136 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14137 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14138 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14139 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14140 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14141 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14143 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14144 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14145 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14148 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14149 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14150 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14151 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14154 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14155 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14156 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14157 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14158 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14161 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14162 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14163 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14164 Emacs running on MS machines.
14168 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14169 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14170 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14171 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14174 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14175 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14176 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14177 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14179 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14180 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14181 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14182 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14183 into a feature by documenting it.)
14185 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14186 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14187 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14188 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14189 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14190 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14191 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14194 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14195 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14198 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14199 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14202 This can also be done non-destructively with
14203 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14205 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14206 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14207 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14209 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14210 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14212 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14213 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14214 @code{References} headers.
14218 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14219 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14220 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14224 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14225 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14226 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14233 @subsection Duplicates
14235 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14236 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14237 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14238 @cindex duplicate mails
14239 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14240 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14241 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14242 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14243 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14244 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14245 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14246 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14247 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14248 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14249 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14250 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14251 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14253 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14254 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14255 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14256 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14258 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14261 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14262 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14266 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14267 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14268 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14269 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14270 (any mail "mail.misc")
14277 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14278 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14283 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14284 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14285 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14286 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14287 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14290 @node Not Reading Mail
14291 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14293 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14294 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14295 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14297 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14298 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14299 mail, which should help.
14301 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14302 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14303 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14304 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14305 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14306 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14307 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14308 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14309 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14310 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14311 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14313 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14314 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14318 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14319 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14321 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14322 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14323 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14325 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14326 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14327 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14331 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14332 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14333 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14334 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14335 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14336 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14337 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14341 @node Unix Mail Box
14342 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14344 @cindex unix mail box
14346 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14347 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14348 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14349 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14350 which group it belongs in.
14352 Virtual server settings:
14355 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14356 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14357 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14360 @item nnmbox-active-file
14361 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14362 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14363 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14365 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14366 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14367 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14368 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14373 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14377 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14378 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14379 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14380 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14381 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14383 Virtual server settings:
14386 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14387 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14388 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14390 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14391 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14392 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14393 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14395 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14396 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14397 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14403 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14405 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14407 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14408 format. It should be used with some caution.
14410 @vindex nnml-directory
14411 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14412 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14413 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14414 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14416 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14419 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14420 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14421 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14422 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14423 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14424 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14425 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14426 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14428 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14429 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14430 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14431 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14433 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14435 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14436 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14437 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14438 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14439 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14440 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14441 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14442 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14445 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14446 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14447 them next time it starts.
14449 Virtual server settings:
14452 @item nnml-directory
14453 @vindex nnml-directory
14454 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14455 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14458 @item nnml-active-file
14459 @vindex nnml-active-file
14460 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14461 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14463 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14464 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14465 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14466 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14468 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14469 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14470 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14473 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14474 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14475 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14476 default is @code{nil}.
14478 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14479 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14480 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14482 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14483 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14484 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14486 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14487 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14488 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14489 default is @code{nil}.
14491 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14492 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14493 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14495 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14496 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14497 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14502 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14503 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14504 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14505 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14506 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14507 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14508 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14513 @subsubsection MH Spool
14515 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14517 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14518 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14519 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14520 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14522 Virtual server settings:
14525 @item nnmh-directory
14526 @vindex nnmh-directory
14527 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14528 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14531 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14532 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14533 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14537 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14538 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14539 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14540 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14541 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14542 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14543 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14548 @subsubsection Maildir
14552 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14553 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14554 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14555 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14556 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14559 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14560 reading, without needing locks. With other backends, you would have
14561 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14562 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14563 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14564 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14567 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14568 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14569 data in the filesystem.
14571 nnmaildir stores article marks and NOV data in each maildir. So you
14572 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14575 Virtual server settings:
14579 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14580 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14581 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14582 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14583 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14584 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14585 starting with `.' are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14586 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14587 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14590 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14591 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14592 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14593 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14594 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14595 don't worry - a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14596 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14597 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14598 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14599 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14601 @item target-prefix
14602 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14603 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14604 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14607 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14608 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14609 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14610 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14611 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14612 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14613 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14614 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14615 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14617 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14618 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14619 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14620 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14621 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14623 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14624 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14625 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14626 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14627 @code{force} argument.
14629 @item directory-files
14630 This should be a function with the same interface as
14631 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14632 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14633 parameter is optional; the default is
14634 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14635 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14636 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14637 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14638 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14639 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14642 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14643 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14644 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14645 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14646 value is @code{nil}.
14648 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14649 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14650 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14651 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14652 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14655 @subsubsection Group parameters
14657 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14658 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14659 behavior for other mail backends: articles are deleted after one week,
14660 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14661 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14662 duplicate the behavior you already have with another backend.
14664 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14665 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14666 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14667 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14668 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14669 backends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14670 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14671 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14672 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14676 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14677 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14678 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14679 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14680 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overridable by
14681 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14682 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14683 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14684 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14685 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14686 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14687 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14690 If this is set to a string (a full Gnus group name, like
14691 @code{"backend+server.address.string:group.name"}), and if it is not
14692 the name of the same group that the parameter belongs to, then
14693 articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry before
14694 being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14695 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14696 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the destination
14697 group. If this is set to the name of the same group that the
14698 parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If you
14699 use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14700 article. So that form can refer to
14701 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14705 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14706 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14707 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14708 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14709 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14710 directory of another maildir - e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14711 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14712 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14713 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
14714 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
14715 extra copies of the articles.
14717 @item directory-files
14718 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
14719 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
14720 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
14721 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
14723 @item distrust-Lines:
14724 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
14725 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
14726 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
14729 A list of mark symbols, such as
14730 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
14731 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
14732 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
14733 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
14734 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14735 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14738 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
14739 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
14740 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
14741 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
14742 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
14743 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14744 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14746 @item nov-cache-size
14747 An integer specifying the size of the NOV memory cache. To speed
14748 things up, nnmaildir keeps NOV data in memory for a limited number of
14749 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
14750 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
14751 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened - i.e.,
14752 when you first start Gnus, typically. The NOV cache is never resized
14753 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
14754 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
14755 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
14756 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
14759 @subsubsection Article identification
14760 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
14761 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
14762 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
14763 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
14764 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
14765 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
14766 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
14767 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
14768 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
14769 request the article in the summary buffer.
14771 @subsubsection NOV data
14772 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its NOV data (used to
14773 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
14774 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
14775 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
14776 need for it - an article's NOV data is updated automatically when the
14777 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
14778 nnmaildir to regenerate the NOV data for a single article simply by
14779 deleting the corresponding NOV file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
14780 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
14781 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
14783 @subsubsection Article marks
14784 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
14785 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
14786 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
14787 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
14788 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
14789 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
14790 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
14791 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
14793 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
14794 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
14795 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
14796 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
14797 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
14798 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
14799 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
14800 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
14801 changes, and might undo them.
14805 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14807 @cindex mbox folders
14808 @cindex mail folders
14810 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14811 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14812 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14815 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14817 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14818 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14819 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14820 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14821 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14822 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14823 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14824 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14825 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14826 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14828 Virtual server settings:
14831 @item nnfolder-directory
14832 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14833 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14834 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14837 @item nnfolder-active-file
14838 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14839 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14841 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14842 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14843 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14844 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
14846 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14847 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14848 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14851 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14852 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14853 @cindex backup files
14854 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14855 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14856 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14857 your @file{.emacs} file:
14860 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14861 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14863 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14866 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14867 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14868 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14869 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14870 extract some information from it before removing it.
14872 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14873 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14874 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14875 default is @code{nil}.
14877 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14878 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14879 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14881 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14882 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14883 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14884 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14886 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14887 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14888 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14889 default is @code{nil}.
14891 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14892 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14893 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14895 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14896 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14897 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14898 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14903 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14904 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14905 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14906 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14907 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14908 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14911 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14912 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14914 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14915 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14916 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14917 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14918 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14920 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14921 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14922 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14923 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14924 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14925 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14926 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14927 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14930 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14931 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14932 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14933 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14938 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14939 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14940 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14941 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14942 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14943 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14944 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14945 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14946 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14947 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14948 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14949 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14950 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14955 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14956 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14957 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14958 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14959 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14960 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14961 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14962 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14963 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14964 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14965 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14966 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14967 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14968 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14970 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14971 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14976 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14977 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14978 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14979 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14980 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14981 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14982 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14983 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14984 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14985 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14986 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14987 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14988 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14989 provided by the active file and overviews.
14991 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14992 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14993 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14994 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14995 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14998 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14999 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15004 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15005 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15006 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
15007 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15008 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15009 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15010 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15014 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15015 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15016 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15017 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15018 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15019 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15020 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15021 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15022 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15024 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15025 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15026 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15027 friendly mail back end all over.
15031 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15032 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15033 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15034 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15035 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15036 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15037 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
15038 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
15041 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15042 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15043 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
15044 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15045 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15046 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15047 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15048 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15049 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15050 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15051 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15053 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15054 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15055 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15056 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15057 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15060 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
15061 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
15063 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15064 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15065 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15066 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15067 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15068 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15069 removed in the future.
15071 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15072 back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster, depending in
15073 part on your file system.
15075 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15076 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15081 @node Browsing the Web
15082 @section Browsing the Web
15084 @cindex browsing the web
15088 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15089 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15090 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15091 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15092 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15093 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15094 even know what a news group is.
15096 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15097 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15098 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15099 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15100 you mad in the end.
15102 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15105 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15106 interfaces to these sources.
15110 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15111 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15112 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15113 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15114 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15115 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15118 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15120 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15121 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
15122 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15123 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15124 though, you should be ok.
15126 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15127 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15128 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15129 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15130 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15132 @node Archiving Mail
15133 @subsection Archiving Mail
15134 @cindex archiving mail
15135 @cindex backup of mail
15137 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15138 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15139 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15140 marks is fairly simple.
15142 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15143 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15146 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15147 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15148 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15149 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15150 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15151 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15152 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15153 before you restore the data.
15155 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15156 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15157 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15158 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15159 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15160 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15161 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15162 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15163 is unnecessary in that case.
15166 @subsection Web Searches
15171 @cindex Usenet searches
15172 @cindex searching the Usenet
15174 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15175 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15176 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15177 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15178 searches without having to use a browser.
15180 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15181 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15182 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15183 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15184 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15186 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15187 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15188 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15189 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15190 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15191 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15192 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15193 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15194 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15195 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15198 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15199 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15200 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15201 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15202 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15203 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15205 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15206 to use @code{nnweb}.
15208 Virtual server variables:
15213 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15214 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15215 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15218 @vindex nnweb-search
15219 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15221 @item nnweb-max-hits
15222 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15223 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15226 @item nnweb-type-definition
15227 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15228 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15229 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15234 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15238 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15241 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15244 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15248 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15255 @subsection Slashdot
15259 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
15260 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15261 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15263 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15264 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
15267 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15268 '((nnslashdot "")))
15271 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15272 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15273 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15274 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15275 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15278 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15279 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15281 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15282 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
15283 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15284 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15285 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
15286 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15289 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15292 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15293 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15294 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15295 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15296 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15297 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15298 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15300 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15301 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15302 The login name to use when posting.
15304 @item nnslashdot-password
15305 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15306 The password to use when posting.
15308 @item nnslashdot-directory
15309 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15310 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15311 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15313 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15314 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15315 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15316 news articles and comments. The default is
15317 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15319 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15320 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15321 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15323 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15325 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15326 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15327 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15329 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15331 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15332 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15333 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15335 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15336 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15337 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15338 updated. The default is 0.
15345 @subsection Ultimate
15347 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15349 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
15350 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15351 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15352 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15354 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15355 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15356 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15357 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15358 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15359 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15360 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15362 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15365 @item nnultimate-directory
15366 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15367 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
15368 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15373 @subsection Web Archive
15375 @cindex Web Archive
15377 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15378 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15379 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15380 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15383 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15384 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15385 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15386 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
15387 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
15388 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15389 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15390 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15392 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15395 @item nnwarchive-directory
15396 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15397 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
15398 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15400 @item nnwarchive-login
15401 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15402 The account name on the web server.
15404 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15405 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15406 The password for your account on the web server.
15414 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15415 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15416 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15419 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15420 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15423 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15426 @item nnrss-directory
15427 @vindex nnrss-directory
15428 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15429 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15433 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15434 the summary buffer.
15437 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15438 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15440 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15442 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15443 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15446 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15449 (require 'browse-url)
15451 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15453 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15456 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15457 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15460 (browse-url (cdr url))
15461 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15462 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15464 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15465 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15466 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15467 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15470 @node Customizing w3
15471 @subsection Customizing w3
15477 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15478 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15479 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15481 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15482 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15483 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15486 (eval-after-load "w3"
15488 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15489 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15490 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15491 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15493 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15496 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15497 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15506 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15507 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15508 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15509 specify the network address of the server.
15511 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15512 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15513 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15514 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15515 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15517 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15518 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15519 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15520 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15522 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15523 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15524 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15525 usage explained in this section.
15527 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15528 might look something like the following. (Note that for TLS/SSL, you
15529 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15532 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15533 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15534 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15536 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15537 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15538 ; a UW server running on localhost
15540 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15541 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15542 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15543 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15544 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15545 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15546 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15547 (nnimap-stream network))
15548 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15550 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15551 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15552 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15555 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15556 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15557 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15558 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15560 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15565 @item nnimap-address
15566 @vindex nnimap-address
15568 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15569 server name if not specified.
15571 @item nnimap-server-port
15572 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15573 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for TLS/SSL.
15575 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15578 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15579 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15582 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15583 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15584 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15585 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15586 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15587 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15588 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15590 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15591 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15592 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15595 Example server specification:
15598 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15599 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15600 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15603 @item nnimap-stream
15604 @vindex nnimap-stream
15605 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15606 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15607 of TLS/SSL. (@sc{imap} over TLS/SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15608 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15610 Example server specification:
15613 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15614 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15617 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15621 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15622 @samp{imtest} program.
15624 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15626 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15627 TLS/SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15630 @dfn{tls:} Connect through TLS. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15631 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15633 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15634 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15636 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15638 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15641 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15642 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15643 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15644 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15645 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15646 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15647 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15648 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15649 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15652 For TLS connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15653 needed. It is available from
15654 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15656 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15657 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15658 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15659 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15660 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15661 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15662 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15665 @vindex imap-shell-program
15666 @vindex imap-shell-host
15667 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15668 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15670 @item nnimap-authenticator
15671 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15673 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15674 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15676 Example server specification:
15679 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15680 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15683 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15687 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15688 external program @code{imtest}.
15690 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15693 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15694 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15696 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15698 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15700 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15703 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15705 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15706 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15707 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15708 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15709 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15710 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15713 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15714 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15715 running in circles yet?
15717 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15718 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15721 The possible options are:
15726 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
15729 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15730 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15731 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15732 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15734 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15739 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15740 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15742 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15743 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15744 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15745 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15746 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15749 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15750 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15753 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15754 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15755 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15756 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15759 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15760 as ticked for other users.
15762 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15764 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15766 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15767 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15768 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15769 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15771 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15772 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15773 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15774 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15776 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15777 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15779 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15780 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15781 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15787 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15788 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15789 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15790 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
15791 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15796 @node Splitting in IMAP
15797 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15798 @cindex splitting imap mail
15800 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15801 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15802 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15803 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15804 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15808 Here are the variables of interest:
15812 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15813 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15815 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15817 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15818 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15820 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15822 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15823 @cindex splitting, inbox
15825 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15827 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15828 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15832 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15833 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15836 No nnmail equivalent.
15838 @item nnimap-split-rule
15839 @cindex Splitting, rules
15840 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15842 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15845 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15846 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15847 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15848 Neither did I, we need examples.
15851 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15853 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15854 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15855 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15858 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15859 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15860 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15862 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15863 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15867 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15870 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15871 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15873 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15874 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15875 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15876 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15878 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15879 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15880 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15881 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15882 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15883 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15885 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15886 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
15887 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
15889 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15890 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15891 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15893 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15895 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15896 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15897 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15900 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15901 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15902 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15903 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15904 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15905 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15908 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15909 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15910 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15911 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15912 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15913 group/function elements.
15915 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15917 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15919 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15921 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15922 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15924 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15925 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15926 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15929 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15930 @cindex splitting, fancy
15931 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15932 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15934 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15935 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15936 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15938 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15939 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15940 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15941 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15946 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15947 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15950 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15952 @item nnimap-split-download-body
15953 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
15954 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
15956 Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
15957 generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
15958 may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
15959 analyses the body to split the article.
15963 @node Expiring in IMAP
15964 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15965 @cindex expiring imap mail
15967 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
15968 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
15969 Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
15970 not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
15971 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
15972 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
15975 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15976 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15977 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15978 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15979 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15980 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15981 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15982 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15986 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15987 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15989 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15990 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
15992 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15994 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15995 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15996 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15997 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16001 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16002 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16003 @cindex editing imap acls
16004 @cindex Access Control Lists
16005 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
16007 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16009 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
16010 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16011 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16014 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16015 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
16016 editing window with detailed instructions.
16018 Some possible uses:
16022 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16023 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16024 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16026 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16027 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16028 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
16032 @node Expunging mailboxes
16033 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16037 @cindex Manual expunging
16039 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16041 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16042 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16043 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16045 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16048 @node A note on namespaces
16049 @subsection A note on namespaces
16050 @cindex IMAP namespace
16053 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
16054 following text in the RFC:
16057 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16059 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16060 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16061 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16062 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16064 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16065 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16066 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16067 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16068 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16069 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16072 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
16073 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
16074 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16076 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
16077 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
16078 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
16079 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
16080 the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
16081 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
16082 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
16083 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
16085 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16086 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16087 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16089 @node Other Sources
16090 @section Other Sources
16092 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16093 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16097 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16098 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16099 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16100 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16101 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16105 @node Directory Groups
16106 @subsection Directory Groups
16108 @cindex directory groups
16110 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16111 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16114 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16115 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16116 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16117 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16119 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16120 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16121 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16122 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16123 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16125 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
16127 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16128 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16129 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16130 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16133 @node Anything Groups
16134 @subsection Anything Groups
16137 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16138 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16139 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16142 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16143 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16144 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16145 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16146 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16147 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16148 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16149 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16150 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16151 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16154 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16155 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16156 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16157 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16159 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16160 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16161 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16162 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16164 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16165 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16166 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16167 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16168 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16169 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16170 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16171 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16176 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16177 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16178 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16179 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16181 @item nneething-exclude-files
16182 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16183 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16184 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16186 @item nneething-include-files
16187 @vindex nneething-include-files
16188 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16189 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16191 @item nneething-map-file
16192 @vindex nneething-map-file
16193 Name of the map files.
16197 @node Document Groups
16198 @subsection Document Groups
16200 @cindex documentation group
16203 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16204 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16211 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
16216 The standard Unix mbox file.
16218 @cindex MMDF mail box
16220 The MMDF mail box format.
16223 Several news articles appended into a file.
16226 @cindex rnews batch files
16227 The rnews batch transport format.
16228 @cindex forwarded messages
16231 Forwarded articles.
16234 Netscape mail boxes.
16237 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
16239 @item standard-digest
16240 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16243 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
16245 @item lanl-gov-announce
16246 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16248 @item rfc822-forward
16249 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16252 The Outlook mail box.
16255 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16258 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16261 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16264 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16270 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16273 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16279 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16280 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16281 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16284 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16285 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16286 group. And that's it.
16288 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16289 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16290 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16291 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16292 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16293 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16294 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16295 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16296 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16297 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16299 Virtual server variables:
16302 @item nndoc-article-type
16303 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16304 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16305 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16306 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16307 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16308 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16310 @item nndoc-post-type
16311 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16312 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16313 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16318 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16322 @node Document Server Internals
16323 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16325 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16326 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16327 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16328 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16330 First, here's an example document type definition:
16334 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16335 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16338 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16339 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16340 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16341 types can be defined with very few settings:
16344 @item first-article
16345 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16346 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16349 @item article-begin
16350 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16351 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16353 @item head-begin-function
16354 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16357 @item nndoc-head-begin
16358 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16361 @item nndoc-head-end
16362 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16363 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16365 @item body-begin-function
16366 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16370 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16373 @item body-end-function
16374 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16378 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16381 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16382 regexp will be totally ignored.
16386 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16387 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16388 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16389 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16390 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16393 @item prepare-body-function
16394 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16395 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16396 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16398 @item article-transform-function
16399 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16400 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16401 body of the article.
16403 @item generate-head-function
16404 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16405 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16406 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16407 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16411 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16416 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16417 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16418 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16419 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16420 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16421 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16422 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16423 (subtype digest guess))
16426 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16427 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16428 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16429 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16430 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16432 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16433 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16434 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16435 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16436 The alist is traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is
16437 called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is
16438 called to see whether a document is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on.
16439 These type predicates should return @code{nil} if the document is not
16440 of the correct type; @code{t} if it is of the correct type; and a
16441 number if the document might be of the correct type. A high number
16442 means high probability; a low number means low probability with
16443 @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16451 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16452 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16453 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16455 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16456 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16457 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16460 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16461 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16462 that interested in doing things properly.
16464 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16465 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16468 First some terminology:
16473 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16474 get news and/or mail from.
16477 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16478 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16481 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16485 @item message packets
16486 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16487 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16488 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16490 @item response packets
16491 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16492 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16493 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16503 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16504 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16505 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16506 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16509 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16512 You put the packet in your home directory.
16515 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16516 the native or secondary server.
16519 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16520 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16523 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16527 You transfer this packet to the server.
16530 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16533 You then repeat until you die.
16537 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16538 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16541 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16542 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16543 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16547 @node SOUP Commands
16548 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16550 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16554 @kindex G s b (Group)
16555 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16556 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16557 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16558 process/prefix convention.
16561 @kindex G s w (Group)
16562 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16563 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16566 @kindex G s s (Group)
16567 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16568 Send all replies from the replies packet
16569 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16572 @kindex G s p (Group)
16573 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16574 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16577 @kindex G s r (Group)
16578 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16579 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16582 @kindex O s (Summary)
16583 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16584 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16585 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16586 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16591 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16596 @item gnus-soup-directory
16597 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16598 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16599 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16601 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16602 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16603 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16604 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16606 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16607 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16608 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16609 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16611 @item gnus-soup-packer
16612 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16613 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16614 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16616 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16617 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16618 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16619 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16621 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16622 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16623 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16625 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16626 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16627 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16628 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16634 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16637 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16638 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16639 you can read them at leisure.
16641 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16645 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16646 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16647 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16648 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16650 @item nnsoup-directory
16651 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16652 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16653 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16655 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16656 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16657 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16658 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16660 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16661 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16662 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16663 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16664 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16666 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16667 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16668 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16669 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16671 @item nnsoup-active-file
16672 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16673 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16674 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16675 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16676 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16678 @item nnsoup-packer
16679 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16680 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16681 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16683 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16684 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16685 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16686 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16688 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16689 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16690 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16693 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16694 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16695 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16698 @item nnsoup-always-save
16699 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16700 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16706 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16708 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16709 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16710 more for that to happen.
16712 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16713 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16714 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16717 In specific, this is what it does:
16720 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16721 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16724 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16725 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16726 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16729 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16730 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16731 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16734 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16735 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16736 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16738 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16744 @item nngateway-address
16745 @vindex nngateway-address
16746 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16748 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16749 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16750 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16751 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16752 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16753 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16754 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16757 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16758 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16759 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16762 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16765 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16768 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16771 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16773 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16776 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16777 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16778 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16780 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16782 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16783 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16784 @code{nngateway-address}.
16789 (setq gnus-post-method
16791 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16792 (nngateway-header-transformation
16793 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16801 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16804 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16809 @node Combined Groups
16810 @section Combined Groups
16812 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16816 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16817 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16821 @node Virtual Groups
16822 @subsection Virtual Groups
16824 @cindex virtual groups
16825 @cindex merging groups
16827 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16830 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16831 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16832 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16834 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16835 regexp to match component groups.
16837 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16838 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16839 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16840 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16841 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16842 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16843 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16844 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16846 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16847 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16850 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16853 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16854 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16856 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16857 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16858 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16859 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16862 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16865 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16866 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16867 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16869 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16870 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16871 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16872 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16873 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16875 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16876 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16877 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16879 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16880 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16881 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16882 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16883 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16884 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16885 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16886 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16887 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16888 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16889 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16891 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16892 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16893 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16894 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16895 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16896 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16897 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16899 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16900 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16902 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16903 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16907 @node Kibozed Groups
16908 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16912 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16913 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16914 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16915 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16917 @kindex G k (Group)
16918 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16921 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16922 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16923 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16924 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16926 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16927 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16928 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16930 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16931 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16932 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16933 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16934 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16935 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16936 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16937 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16939 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16940 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16941 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16942 Stranger things have happened.
16944 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16945 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16947 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16948 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16949 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16950 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16951 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16952 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16954 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16955 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16958 @node Gnus Unplugged
16959 @section Gnus Unplugged
16964 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16966 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16967 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16968 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16969 read news. Believe it or not.
16971 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16972 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16973 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16974 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16975 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16977 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16978 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16979 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16980 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16981 reading news on a machine.
16983 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16984 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16986 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16989 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16990 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16991 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16992 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16993 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16994 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
16995 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16996 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16997 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16998 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16999 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17000 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17005 @subsection Agent Basics
17007 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17009 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17010 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17011 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17012 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17014 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17015 connected to the net continuously.
17017 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17018 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17020 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17025 @findex gnus-unplugged
17026 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17027 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17028 already fetched while in this mode.
17031 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17032 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17033 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17034 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
17035 Source Specifiers}).
17038 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
17039 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
17040 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
17041 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
17042 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
17045 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17046 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17047 then you read the news offline.
17050 And then you go to step 2.
17053 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17059 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17060 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17061 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17062 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17063 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17064 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17065 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17066 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17070 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17071 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17072 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17073 is probably best to start with a category @xref{Agent Categories}.
17075 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17076 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17077 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17078 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17079 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17080 your policy, you can use grou parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17084 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17088 @node Agent Categories
17089 @subsection Agent Categories
17091 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17092 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17093 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17094 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17095 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17096 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17097 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17099 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17100 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17101 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17102 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17103 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17105 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17106 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17107 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17108 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17109 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17112 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17113 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17114 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17115 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17116 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17117 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17121 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17122 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17123 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17127 @node Category Syntax
17128 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17130 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17131 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17132 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17136 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17137 The name of the category.
17139 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17140 The list of groups that are in this category.
17142 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17143 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17144 are eligible for downloading; and
17146 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17147 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17148 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17149 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17151 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17152 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17153 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17154 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17155 only groups that should not be expired.
17157 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17158 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17159 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17161 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17162 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17164 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17165 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17167 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17168 an integer that overrides the value of
17169 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17171 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17172 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17175 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17178 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17179 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17180 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17183 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17184 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17185 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17186 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17188 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17189 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17190 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17192 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17193 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17194 operators sprinkled in between.
17196 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17198 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17199 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17205 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17206 short (for some value of ``short'').
17208 Here's a more complex predicate:
17217 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17218 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17221 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17222 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17223 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17225 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17226 you want to do, you can write your own.
17228 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17229 bound to the value determined by calling
17230 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17231 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17232 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17233 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17234 predicate to individual groups.
17238 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17239 lines; default 100.
17242 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17243 lines; default 200.
17246 True iff the article has a download score less than
17247 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17250 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17251 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17254 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17255 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17256 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17265 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17266 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17267 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17270 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17271 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17272 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17273 something along the lines of the following:
17276 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17277 "Say whether an article is old."
17278 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17279 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17282 with the predicate then defined as:
17285 (not my-article-old-p)
17288 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17289 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17293 (require 'gnus-agent)
17294 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17295 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17296 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17299 and simply specify your predicate as:
17305 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17306 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17307 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17308 just don't give a damn.
17310 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17311 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17312 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17313 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
17314 parameters like so:
17317 (agent-predicate . short)
17320 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17321 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17322 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17324 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17327 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17330 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17331 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17332 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17335 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17336 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17337 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17338 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17339 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17340 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17342 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17343 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17344 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17345 if it's to be specific to that group.
17347 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17354 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17355 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17361 Category specification
17365 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17371 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17374 (agent-score ("from"
17375 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17380 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17386 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17387 keywords stated above.
17393 Category specification
17396 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17402 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17406 Group Parameter specification
17409 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17412 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17417 Use @code{normal} score files
17419 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17420 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17421 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17422 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17424 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17425 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17426 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17427 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17431 Category Specification
17438 Group Parameter specification
17441 (agent-score . file)
17446 @node Category Buffer
17447 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17449 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17450 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17451 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17453 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17457 @kindex q (Category)
17458 @findex gnus-category-exit
17459 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17462 @kindex e (Category)
17463 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17464 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17465 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17468 @kindex k (Category)
17469 @findex gnus-category-kill
17470 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17473 @kindex c (Category)
17474 @findex gnus-category-copy
17475 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17478 @kindex a (Category)
17479 @findex gnus-category-add
17480 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17483 @kindex p (Category)
17484 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17485 Edit the predicate of the current category
17486 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17489 @kindex g (Category)
17490 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17491 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17492 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17495 @kindex s (Category)
17496 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17497 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17498 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17501 @kindex l (Category)
17502 @findex gnus-category-list
17503 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17507 @node Category Variables
17508 @subsubsection Category Variables
17511 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17512 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17513 Hook run in category buffers.
17515 @item gnus-category-line-format
17516 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17517 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17518 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17522 The name of the category.
17525 The number of groups in the category.
17528 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17529 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17530 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17532 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17533 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17534 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17536 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17537 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17538 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17540 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17541 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17542 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17545 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17546 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17547 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17550 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17551 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17552 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17553 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17554 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17555 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17556 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17557 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17561 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17562 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17563 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17564 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17565 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17566 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17567 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17572 @node Agent Commands
17573 @subsection Agent Commands
17574 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17575 @kindex J j (Agent)
17577 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17578 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17579 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17583 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17584 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17585 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17591 @node Group Agent Commands
17592 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17596 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17597 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17598 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17599 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17602 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17603 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17604 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17607 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17608 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17609 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17610 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17613 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17614 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17615 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17616 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17619 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17620 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17621 Add the current group to an Agent category
17622 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17623 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17626 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17627 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17628 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17629 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17630 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17633 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17634 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17635 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17641 @node Summary Agent Commands
17642 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17646 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17647 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17648 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17651 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17652 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17653 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17654 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17658 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17659 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17660 Toggle whether to download the article
17661 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
17665 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17666 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17667 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17670 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17671 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17672 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17673 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17676 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17677 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17678 Download all processable articles in this group.
17679 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17682 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17683 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17684 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17685 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17690 @node Server Agent Commands
17691 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17695 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17696 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17697 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17698 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17701 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17702 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17703 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17704 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17709 @node Agent as Cache
17710 @subsection Agent as Cache
17712 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17713 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17714 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17715 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17716 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17717 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17718 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17719 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17720 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17722 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17723 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
17724 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
17725 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
17726 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap backend.
17729 @subsection Agent Expiry
17731 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17732 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17733 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17734 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
17735 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
17736 @cindex Agent expiry
17737 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17740 The Agent backend, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
17741 least it doesn't handle it like other backends. Instead, there are
17742 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
17743 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
17744 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
17745 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
17746 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
17747 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
17749 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
17750 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
17751 synchronized with the group.
17753 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
17754 prevent expiration in selected groups.
17756 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17757 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
17758 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
17759 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
17760 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
17761 be kept indefinitely.
17763 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17764 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
17765 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
17766 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
17768 @node Agent Regeneration
17769 @subsection Agent Regeneration
17771 @cindex Agent Regeneration
17772 @cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
17773 @cindex regeneration
17775 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
17776 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
17777 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
17778 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
17779 internal inconsistencies.
17781 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
17782 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
17783 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
17784 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
17785 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
17786 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
17788 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17789 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
17790 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
17791 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
17792 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
17793 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
17795 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17796 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17797 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
17798 of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
17799 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
17800 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
17803 @node Agent and IMAP
17804 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17806 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17807 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17808 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17809 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17811 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17812 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
17813 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17814 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17816 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17817 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17818 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17819 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17821 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17822 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17823 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17824 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17825 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17826 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17828 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17829 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17830 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17831 in the group buffer.
17833 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17834 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17839 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17842 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17846 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
17847 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17848 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17849 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17850 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17851 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
17852 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17853 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17856 @node Outgoing Messages
17857 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17859 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17860 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17861 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17863 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17864 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17865 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17866 messages in the draft group.
17870 @node Agent Variables
17871 @subsection Agent Variables
17874 @item gnus-agent-directory
17875 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17876 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17877 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17879 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17880 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17881 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17882 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17883 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17886 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17887 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17888 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17890 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17891 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17892 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17894 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17895 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17896 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
17898 @item gnus-agent-cache
17899 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17900 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17901 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17902 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17904 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17905 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17906 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17907 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17908 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17909 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17910 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17913 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17914 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17915 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
17916 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
17917 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
17918 read. The default is t.
17920 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17921 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17922 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
17923 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
17924 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
17926 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17927 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17928 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
17929 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
17930 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
17931 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
17932 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
17933 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
17934 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
17935 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
17936 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
17937 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
17940 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17941 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17942 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17943 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17944 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17945 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17946 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17947 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17948 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17950 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
17951 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
17952 Another variable that isn't a Agent variable, yet so closely related
17953 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
17954 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
17955 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
17957 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
17958 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
17959 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
17960 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
17961 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
17966 @node Example Setup
17967 @subsection Example Setup
17969 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17970 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17971 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17974 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17975 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17976 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17978 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17979 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17980 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17982 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17983 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17985 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17986 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17987 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17990 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17991 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17994 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17995 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17996 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17997 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17998 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18001 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18002 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18003 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18004 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18005 back all the killed groups.)
18007 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18008 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18009 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18012 @node Batching Agents
18013 @subsection Batching Agents
18014 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18016 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18017 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18018 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18020 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18021 following incantation:
18025 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18029 @node Agent Caveats
18030 @subsection Agent Caveats
18032 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18033 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18037 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18039 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18040 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18041 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18043 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18044 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18046 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18050 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18051 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18052 locally stored articles.
18059 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18060 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18061 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18064 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18065 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18066 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18067 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18068 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18070 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18071 before generating the summary buffer.
18073 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18074 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18075 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18077 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18078 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18079 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18080 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18083 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18084 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18085 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18086 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18087 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18088 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18089 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18090 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18091 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18092 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18093 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18094 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18095 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18096 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18097 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18098 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18099 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18103 @node Summary Score Commands
18104 @section Summary Score Commands
18105 @cindex score commands
18107 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18108 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18109 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18110 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18111 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18113 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18114 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18115 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18116 score file the current one.
18118 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18123 @kindex V s (Summary)
18124 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18125 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18128 @kindex V S (Summary)
18129 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18130 Display the score of the current article
18131 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18134 @kindex V t (Summary)
18135 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18136 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18137 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
18140 @kindex V w (Summary)
18141 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18142 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18145 @kindex V R (Summary)
18146 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18147 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18148 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18149 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18150 effect you're having.
18153 @kindex V c (Summary)
18154 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18155 Make a different score file the current
18156 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18159 @kindex V e (Summary)
18160 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18161 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18162 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18166 @kindex V f (Summary)
18167 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18168 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18169 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18172 @kindex V F (Summary)
18173 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18174 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18175 after editing score files.
18178 @kindex V C (Summary)
18179 @findex gnus-score-customize
18180 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18181 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18185 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18190 @kindex V m (Summary)
18191 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18192 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18193 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18196 @kindex V x (Summary)
18197 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18198 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18199 expunge all articles below this score
18200 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18203 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18204 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18207 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18208 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18212 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18213 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18215 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18216 keys are available:
18220 Score on the author name.
18223 Score on the subject line.
18226 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18229 Score on the @code{References} line.
18235 Score on the number of lines.
18238 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18241 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18242 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18245 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18246 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18247 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18256 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18262 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18263 what headers you are scoring on.
18275 Substring matching.
18278 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18307 Greater than number.
18312 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18313 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18314 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18319 Temporary score entry.
18322 Permanent score entry.
18325 Immediately scoring.
18329 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18330 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18331 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18335 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18336 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18337 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18338 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18340 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18341 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18342 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18343 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18344 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18346 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18347 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18348 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18349 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18350 current score file.
18352 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18353 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18354 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18357 @node Group Score Commands
18358 @section Group Score Commands
18359 @cindex group score commands
18361 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18366 @kindex W f (Group)
18367 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18368 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18369 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18370 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18374 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18376 @findex gnus-batch-score
18377 @cindex batch scoring
18379 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18383 @node Score Variables
18384 @section Score Variables
18385 @cindex score variables
18389 @item gnus-use-scoring
18390 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18391 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18392 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18394 @item gnus-kill-killed
18395 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18396 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18397 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18398 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18399 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18400 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18401 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18403 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18404 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18405 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18406 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18407 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18409 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18410 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18411 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18412 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18414 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18415 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18416 @cindex score cache
18417 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18418 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18419 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18420 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18421 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18422 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18423 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18426 @item gnus-save-score
18427 @vindex gnus-save-score
18428 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18429 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18430 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18432 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18433 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18434 across group visits.
18436 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18437 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18438 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18439 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18440 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18441 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18442 manually entered data.
18444 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18445 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18446 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18448 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18449 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18450 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18451 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18452 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18453 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18455 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18456 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18457 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18458 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18460 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18461 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18462 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18463 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18465 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18466 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18467 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18468 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18470 Predefined functions available are:
18473 @item gnus-score-find-single
18474 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18475 Only apply the group's own score file.
18477 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18478 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18479 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18480 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18481 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18482 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18483 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18484 then a regexp match is done.
18486 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18487 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18489 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18490 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18491 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18492 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18494 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18495 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18496 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18497 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18498 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18502 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18503 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18504 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18505 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18506 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18507 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18508 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18511 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18512 overall score file, you could use the value
18514 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18515 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18518 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18519 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18520 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18521 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18522 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18524 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18525 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18526 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18527 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18528 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18529 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18530 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18531 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18533 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18534 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18535 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18537 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18538 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18539 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
18540 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18541 threading---according to the current value of
18542 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
18543 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18544 simplified in this manner.
18549 @node Score File Format
18550 @section Score File Format
18551 @cindex score file format
18553 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18554 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18555 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18557 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18561 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18563 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18565 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18567 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18572 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18576 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18577 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18578 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18579 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18583 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18584 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18586 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
18587 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18588 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18590 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18595 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18596 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18597 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18598 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18599 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18600 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18601 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18602 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18603 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18604 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18605 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18606 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18607 to articles that matches these score entries.
18609 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18610 score entry has one to four elements.
18614 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18615 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18619 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18620 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18621 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18622 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18623 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18624 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18627 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18628 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18629 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18630 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18631 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18634 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18635 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18636 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18637 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18640 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18641 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18642 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18643 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18644 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18645 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18646 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18647 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18648 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18649 instead, if you feel like.
18652 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18653 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18654 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18655 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18656 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18657 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18660 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18664 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18665 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18667 These predicates are true if
18670 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18673 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18674 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18681 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18682 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18683 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18684 it's not. I think.)
18686 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18687 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18688 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18689 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18692 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18693 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18694 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18695 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18696 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18697 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18698 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18702 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18703 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18704 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18705 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18706 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18707 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18708 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18709 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18712 @item Head, Body, All
18713 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18717 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18718 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18719 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18720 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18721 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18722 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18723 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18727 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18728 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18729 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18730 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18731 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18732 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18733 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18734 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18735 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18736 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18737 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18741 @cindex Score File Atoms
18743 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18744 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18747 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18748 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18750 @item mark-and-expunge
18751 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18752 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18755 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18756 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18757 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18758 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18759 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18762 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18763 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18766 @item exclude-files
18767 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18768 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18772 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18773 ignored when handling global score files.
18776 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18777 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18778 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18779 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18782 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18783 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18784 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18785 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18787 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18791 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18794 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18795 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18796 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18797 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18798 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18800 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18801 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18802 scoring rules exist.
18805 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18806 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18807 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18808 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18809 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18810 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18811 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18812 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18813 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18814 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18815 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18819 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18820 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18821 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18822 file for a number of groups.
18825 @cindex local variables
18826 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
18827 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
18828 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
18829 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
18830 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
18835 @node Score File Editing
18836 @section Score File Editing
18838 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18839 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18840 with a mode for that.
18842 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18843 additional commands:
18848 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18849 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18850 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18851 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18854 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18855 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18856 Insert the current date in numerical format
18857 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18858 you were wondering.
18861 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18862 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18863 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18864 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18865 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18870 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18872 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18873 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18875 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18876 e} to begin editing score files.
18879 @node Adaptive Scoring
18880 @section Adaptive Scoring
18881 @cindex adaptive scoring
18883 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18884 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18885 stupidity, to be precise.
18887 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18888 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18889 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18890 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18891 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18892 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18893 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18894 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18895 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18897 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18898 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18899 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18900 might look something like this:
18903 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18904 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18905 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18906 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18907 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18908 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18909 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18910 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18911 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18912 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18913 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18914 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18917 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18918 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18919 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18920 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18921 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18922 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18925 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18926 will be applied to each article.
18928 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18929 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18930 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18931 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18933 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18934 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18935 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18936 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18938 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18939 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18940 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18941 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18943 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18944 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18945 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18946 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18947 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18948 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18950 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18951 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18952 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18954 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18955 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18956 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18958 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18959 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18960 let you use different rules in different groups.
18962 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18963 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18964 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18967 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18968 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18969 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18970 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18971 the length of the match is less than
18972 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18973 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18976 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18977 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18978 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18979 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18980 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18983 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18984 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18985 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18986 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18987 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18990 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18991 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18992 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18993 score with 30 points.
18995 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18996 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18997 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18998 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18999 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19001 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19002 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19003 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19004 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19005 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19007 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19008 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19009 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19010 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19012 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19013 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19014 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19015 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19017 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19018 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19019 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19020 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19021 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19023 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19024 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19025 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19027 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19028 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19029 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19030 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19033 @node Home Score File
19034 @section Home Score File
19036 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19037 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19038 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19039 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19041 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19042 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19043 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19045 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19046 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19051 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19055 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19056 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19060 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19064 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19065 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19068 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
19069 the home score file.
19072 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19075 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19080 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19083 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19084 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19087 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19088 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19090 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19092 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19093 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19096 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19097 Other functions include
19100 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19101 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19102 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19103 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19107 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19108 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19109 their own home score files:
19112 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19113 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
19114 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19115 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
19116 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19119 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19120 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19121 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19122 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19123 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19125 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19126 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19127 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19128 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19129 precedence over this variable.
19132 @node Followups To Yourself
19133 @section Followups To Yourself
19135 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19136 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19137 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19138 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19139 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19140 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19144 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19145 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19146 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19149 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19150 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19151 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19155 @vindex message-sent-hook
19156 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19157 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19159 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19163 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19164 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19168 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19169 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19172 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19173 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19178 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19182 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19183 is system-dependent.
19186 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19187 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19188 @cindex scoring on other headers
19190 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19191 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19192 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19193 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19194 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19196 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19197 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
19198 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
19199 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
19200 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19202 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19205 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19206 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19209 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19210 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19211 time if you have much mail.
19213 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19214 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19220 @section Scoring Tips
19221 @cindex scoring tips
19227 @cindex scoring crossposts
19228 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19229 the @code{Xref} header.
19231 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19234 @item Multiple crossposts
19235 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19236 more than, say, 3 groups:
19239 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19243 @item Matching on the body
19244 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19245 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19246 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19247 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19248 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19249 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19250 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19253 @item Marking as read
19254 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19255 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19256 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19260 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19262 @item Negated character classes
19263 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19264 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19265 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19269 @node Reverse Scoring
19270 @section Reverse Scoring
19271 @cindex reverse scoring
19273 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19274 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19275 like this in your score file:
19279 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19284 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19285 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19288 @node Global Score Files
19289 @section Global Score Files
19290 @cindex global score files
19292 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19293 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19294 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19296 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19297 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19298 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19300 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19301 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19302 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19303 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19304 files are applicable to which group.
19306 To use the score file
19307 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19308 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19312 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19313 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19314 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19317 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19319 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19320 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19321 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19322 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19324 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19325 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19327 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19328 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19329 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19330 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19331 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19332 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19334 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19340 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19342 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19344 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19346 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19347 lowered out of existence.
19349 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19350 articles completely.
19353 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19354 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19355 old articles for a long time.
19358 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19359 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19360 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19361 holding our breath yet?
19365 @section Kill Files
19368 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19369 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19370 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19372 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19373 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19374 files into score files.
19376 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19377 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19378 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19379 that isn't a very good idea.
19381 Normal kill files look like this:
19384 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19385 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19389 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19390 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19392 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19393 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19396 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
19401 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19402 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19403 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19406 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19407 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19408 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19411 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19416 @kindex M-k (Group)
19417 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19418 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19421 @kindex M-K (Group)
19422 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19423 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19426 Kill file variables:
19429 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19430 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19431 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19432 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19433 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19434 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19435 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19437 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19438 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19439 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19440 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19443 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19444 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19445 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19446 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19447 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19448 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19449 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19450 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19451 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19453 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19454 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19455 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19460 @node Converting Kill Files
19461 @section Converting Kill Files
19463 @cindex converting kill files
19465 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19466 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19467 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19470 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19471 You can fetch it from
19472 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19474 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19475 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19476 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19484 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
19485 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19486 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19487 news articles generated every day.
19489 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19490 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19491 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19492 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19493 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19494 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19495 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19496 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19499 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19500 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19503 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19504 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19505 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19506 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19510 @node Using GroupLens
19511 @subsection Using GroupLens
19513 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
19515 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
19516 better bit in town at the moment.
19518 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19522 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19523 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19524 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19525 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19527 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19528 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19529 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19530 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19532 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19533 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19534 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19538 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19539 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19540 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19541 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19542 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19543 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19546 @node Rating Articles
19547 @subsection Rating Articles
19549 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19550 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19551 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19552 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19555 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19560 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19561 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19562 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19565 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19566 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19567 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19568 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19569 threads in rec.humor.
19573 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19574 the score of the article you're reading.
19579 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19580 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19581 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19584 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19585 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19586 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19590 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19591 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19594 @node Displaying Predictions
19595 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19597 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19598 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19599 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19600 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19601 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19603 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19604 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19605 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19606 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19607 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19608 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19609 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19610 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19611 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19612 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19613 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19614 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19615 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19617 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19618 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19619 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19620 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19622 The following are valid values for that variable.
19625 @item prediction-spot
19626 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19629 @item confidence-interval
19630 A numeric confidence interval.
19632 @item prediction-bar
19633 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19635 @item confidence-bar
19636 Numerical confidence.
19638 @item confidence-spot
19639 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19641 @item prediction-num
19642 Plain-old numeric value.
19644 @item confidence-plus-minus
19645 Prediction +/- confidence.
19650 @node GroupLens Variables
19651 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19655 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19656 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19657 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19658 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19661 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19662 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19665 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19666 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19668 @item grouplens-score-offset
19669 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19670 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19673 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19674 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19675 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19680 @node Advanced Scoring
19681 @section Advanced Scoring
19683 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19684 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19685 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19686 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19687 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19689 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19693 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19694 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19695 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19699 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19700 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19702 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19703 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19704 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19705 non-@code{nil} value.
19707 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19708 operator, and various match operators.
19715 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19716 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19717 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19722 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19723 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19724 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19729 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19730 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19734 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19735 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19736 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19737 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19738 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19739 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19740 the ancestry you want to go.
19742 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19743 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19744 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19745 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19746 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19749 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19750 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19752 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19753 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19756 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19757 when he's talking about Gnus:
19761 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19762 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19768 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19772 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19779 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19780 really don't want to read what he's written:
19784 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19785 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19789 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19790 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19791 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19798 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19799 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19800 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19801 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19805 The possibilities are endless.
19808 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19809 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19811 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19812 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19813 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19814 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19815 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19816 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19817 @samp{subject}) first.
19819 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19820 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19831 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19832 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19838 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19845 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19846 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19851 @section Score Decays
19852 @cindex score decays
19855 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19856 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19857 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19858 use them in any sensible way.
19860 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19861 @findex gnus-decay-score
19862 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19863 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19864 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19865 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19866 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19867 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19868 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19869 definition of that function:
19872 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19874 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19875 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19878 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19880 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19882 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19885 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19886 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19887 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19888 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19892 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19895 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19898 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19902 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19903 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19904 the new score, which should be an integer.
19906 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19907 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19912 @include message.texi
19913 @chapter Emacs MIME
19914 @include emacs-mime.texi
19916 @include sieve.texi
19926 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19927 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19928 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19929 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19930 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19931 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19932 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19933 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19934 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19935 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19936 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19937 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19938 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19939 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19940 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19941 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19942 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19943 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19944 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19948 @node Process/Prefix
19949 @section Process/Prefix
19950 @cindex process/prefix convention
19952 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19953 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19955 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19956 command to be performed on.
19960 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19961 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19962 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19963 with the current one.
19965 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19966 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19967 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19969 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19970 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19973 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19974 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19976 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19979 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19980 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19981 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19982 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19984 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19985 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19986 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19987 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19988 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19989 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19990 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19991 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19993 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19994 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19995 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19996 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19997 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20001 @section Interactive
20002 @cindex interaction
20006 @item gnus-novice-user
20007 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20008 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20009 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20010 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20011 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20014 @item gnus-expert-user
20015 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20016 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20017 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20018 matter how strange.
20020 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20021 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20022 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20023 is @code{t} by default.
20025 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20026 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20027 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20032 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20033 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20034 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20036 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20037 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20038 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20039 rule of 900 to the current article.
20041 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20042 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20043 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20044 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20045 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20046 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20047 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20049 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20050 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20051 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20052 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20053 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20054 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20055 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20056 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20057 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20059 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20060 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20061 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20063 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20067 @node Formatting Variables
20068 @section Formatting Variables
20069 @cindex formatting variables
20071 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20072 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20073 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20074 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20075 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20078 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20079 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20080 lots of percentages everywhere.
20083 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20084 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20085 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20086 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20087 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20088 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20089 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20090 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20093 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20094 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20095 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20096 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20097 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20098 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20099 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20100 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20102 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20103 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20105 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20106 @findex gnus-update-format
20107 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20108 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20109 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20110 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20114 @node Formatting Basics
20115 @subsection Formatting Basics
20117 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20118 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20119 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20121 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20122 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20123 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20124 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20125 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20128 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20129 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20130 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20131 less than 4 characters wide.
20133 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20134 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20137 @node Mode Line Formatting
20138 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20140 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20141 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20142 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20143 with the following two differences:
20148 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20151 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20152 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20153 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20154 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20155 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20156 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20157 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20162 @node Advanced Formatting
20163 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20165 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20166 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20167 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20168 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20170 These are the valid modifiers:
20175 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20179 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20184 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20187 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20192 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20195 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20198 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20201 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20207 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20212 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20213 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20214 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20215 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20216 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20217 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20218 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20220 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20221 last operation, padding.
20223 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20224 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20225 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20226 @xref{Compilation}.
20229 @node User-Defined Specs
20230 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20232 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20233 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20234 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20235 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20236 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20237 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20238 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20239 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20240 should protect against that.
20242 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20243 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20245 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20246 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20247 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20248 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20252 @node Formatting Fonts
20253 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20255 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20256 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20257 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20258 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20261 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20262 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20263 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20264 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20265 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20266 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20268 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20269 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20270 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20271 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20272 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20273 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20274 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20275 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20276 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20277 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20278 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20281 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20284 ;; Create three face types.
20285 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20286 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20288 ;; We want the article count to be in
20289 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
20290 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
20291 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20293 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20294 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20296 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
20297 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20298 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20301 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20302 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20304 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20305 mode-line variables.
20307 @node Positioning Point
20308 @subsection Positioning Point
20310 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20311 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20312 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20314 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20316 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20317 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20318 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20320 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20321 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20322 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20327 @subsection Tabulation
20329 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20330 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20331 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20332 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20334 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
20335 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20337 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20338 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20339 This is the soft tabulator.
20341 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20342 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20343 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20346 @node Wide Characters
20347 @subsection Wide Characters
20349 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20350 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20351 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20353 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20354 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20355 these countries, that's not true.
20357 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20358 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20359 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20360 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20364 @node Window Layout
20365 @section Window Layout
20366 @cindex window layout
20368 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20370 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20371 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20372 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20373 @code{t} by default.
20375 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20376 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20378 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20379 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20380 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20383 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20384 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20385 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20389 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20390 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20391 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20392 possible names is listed below.
20394 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20395 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20398 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20402 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20403 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20404 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20405 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20406 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20407 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20408 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20409 size spec per split.
20411 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20412 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20413 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20414 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20415 present) gets focus.
20417 Here's a more complicated example:
20420 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20421 (summary 0.25 point)
20422 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20426 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20427 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20428 occupy, not a percentage.
20430 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20431 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20432 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20433 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20434 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20437 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20440 (article (horizontal 1.0
20445 (summary 0.25 point)
20450 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20451 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20453 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20454 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20455 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20456 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20457 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20459 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20460 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20461 lines from the splits.
20463 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20467 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20468 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20469 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20470 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20471 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20472 size = number | frame-params
20473 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20476 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20477 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20478 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20479 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20481 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20482 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20483 @cindex window height
20484 @cindex window width
20485 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20486 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20487 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20488 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20489 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20490 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20492 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20493 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20494 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20495 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20497 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20498 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20499 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20500 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20501 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20502 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20503 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20504 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20505 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20506 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20507 configuration list.
20510 (gnus-configure-frame
20514 (article 0.3 point))
20522 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20523 @code{frame} split:
20526 (gnus-configure-frame
20529 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20531 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20532 (user-position . t)
20533 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20538 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20539 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20540 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20541 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20542 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20543 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20544 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20545 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20547 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20548 be found in its default value.
20550 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20551 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20552 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20556 (message (horizontal 1.0
20557 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20559 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20564 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20565 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20566 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20571 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20572 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20573 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20574 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20575 (name . "Message"))
20576 (message 1.0 point))))
20579 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20580 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20581 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20582 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20583 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20586 (gnus-add-configuration
20587 '(article (vertical 1.0
20589 (summary .25 point)
20593 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20594 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20595 Gnus has been loaded.
20597 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20598 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20599 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20600 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20601 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20603 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20604 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20605 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20608 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20612 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20613 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20628 (gnus-add-configuration
20631 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20633 (summary 0.16 point)
20636 (gnus-add-configuration
20639 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20640 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20646 @node Faces and Fonts
20647 @section Faces and Fonts
20652 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20653 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20654 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20659 @section Compilation
20660 @cindex compilation
20661 @cindex byte-compilation
20663 @findex gnus-compile
20665 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20666 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20667 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
20668 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20669 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20670 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20673 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20674 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20675 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20676 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
20677 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
20678 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
20679 them into the @file{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
20683 @section Mode Lines
20686 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20687 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20688 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20689 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20690 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20691 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20692 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20695 @cindex display-time
20697 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20698 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20699 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20700 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20701 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20702 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20703 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20704 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20707 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20709 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20710 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20712 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20713 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20714 (length display-time-string)))))
20717 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20718 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20719 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20720 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20721 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20724 @node Highlighting and Menus
20725 @section Highlighting and Menus
20727 @cindex highlighting
20730 @vindex gnus-visual
20731 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20732 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20733 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20736 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20737 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20740 @item group-highlight
20741 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20742 @item summary-highlight
20743 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20744 @item article-highlight
20745 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20747 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20749 Create menus in the group buffer.
20751 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20753 Create menus in the article buffer.
20755 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20757 Create menus in the server buffer.
20759 Create menus in the score buffers.
20761 Create menus in all buffers.
20764 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20765 buffers, you could say something like:
20768 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20771 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20774 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20777 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20778 in all Gnus buffers.
20780 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20783 @item gnus-mouse-face
20784 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20785 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20786 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20790 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20794 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20795 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20796 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20798 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20799 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20800 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20802 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20803 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20804 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20806 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20807 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20808 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20810 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20811 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20812 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20814 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20815 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20816 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20827 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20828 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20829 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20830 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20831 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20835 @vindex gnus-carpal
20836 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20837 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20838 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20843 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20844 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20845 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20847 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20848 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20849 Face used on buttons.
20851 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20852 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20853 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20855 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20856 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20857 Buttons in the group buffer.
20859 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20860 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20861 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20863 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20864 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20865 Buttons in the server buffer.
20867 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20868 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20869 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20872 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20873 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20874 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20882 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20883 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20884 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20885 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20886 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20888 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20889 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20890 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20892 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20893 been idle for thirty minutes:
20896 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20899 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20903 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20906 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20907 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20908 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20910 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20911 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20912 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20913 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20915 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20916 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20917 @var{idle} minutes.
20919 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20920 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20923 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20924 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20925 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20927 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20928 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20929 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20930 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20932 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20933 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20935 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20937 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20940 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20941 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20942 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20943 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20944 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20945 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20946 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20947 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20948 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20949 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20950 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
20952 @findex gnus-demon-init
20953 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20954 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20955 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20956 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20957 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20959 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20960 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20961 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20970 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20971 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20973 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20974 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20975 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20976 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20979 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20980 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20981 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20982 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20984 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20985 this will make spam disappear.
20987 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20990 @item gnus-use-nocem
20991 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20992 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20995 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20996 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20997 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20998 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20999 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
21001 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21002 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21003 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21004 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
21005 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
21006 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21008 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
21009 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21011 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21012 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21013 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21014 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21015 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21016 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21017 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21018 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21019 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21020 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21022 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21023 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21026 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21029 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21030 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21033 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21036 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21039 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21040 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21042 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21043 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21044 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21045 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21047 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21048 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21051 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21053 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21061 This might be dangerous, though.
21063 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21064 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21065 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
21066 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21068 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21069 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21070 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21071 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21072 might then see old spam.
21074 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21075 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21076 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21077 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21078 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21081 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21082 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21083 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21084 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21088 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21089 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21090 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21091 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21098 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21099 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21100 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21102 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21103 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21104 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21105 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21106 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21107 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21108 @code{undo} function.
21110 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21111 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21112 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21113 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21114 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21115 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21116 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21117 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21118 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21119 never be totally undoable.
21121 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21122 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21124 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21125 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21126 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21127 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21131 @node Predicate Specifiers
21132 @section Predicate Specifiers
21133 @cindex predicate specifiers
21135 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21136 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21137 to type all that much.
21139 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21144 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21145 gnus-article-unread-p)
21148 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21149 functions all take one parameter.
21151 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21152 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21153 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21154 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21159 @section Moderation
21162 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21163 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21164 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21167 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21171 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21174 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
21176 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21181 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21182 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21183 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21186 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21187 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21190 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21191 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21195 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21198 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21199 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21203 @node Image Enhancements
21204 @section Image Enhancements
21206 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
21207 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
21210 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21211 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21212 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21213 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21226 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21227 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
21228 over your shoulder as you read news.
21230 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21239 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21240 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21241 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21242 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21243 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21244 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21245 @code{GIF} formats.
21248 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21249 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21250 point your Web browser at
21251 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21253 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21254 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21256 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21257 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21260 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21264 @item gnus-picon-databases
21265 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21266 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21267 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21268 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21269 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21271 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21272 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21273 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21274 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21276 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21277 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21278 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21279 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21281 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21282 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21283 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21284 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21285 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21287 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21288 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21289 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21290 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
21295 @subsection Smileys
21300 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21305 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21306 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21308 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21309 @file{.gnus.el} file:
21312 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21315 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21316 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21317 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21318 text and maps that to file names.
21320 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21321 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21322 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21323 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21324 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21327 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21332 @item smiley-data-directory
21333 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21334 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21336 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21337 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21338 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21347 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21348 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21349 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21353 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21354 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
21355 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21356 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21364 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21365 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21366 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21367 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21369 The variable that controls this is the
21370 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21371 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21372 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21373 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21374 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21376 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21377 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21378 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21379 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21382 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21383 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21384 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21385 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21386 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21387 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21388 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21389 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21391 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21394 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21395 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21397 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21398 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21399 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21400 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21401 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21402 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21403 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21404 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21405 header data as a string.
21407 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21408 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21409 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21410 randomly generated data.
21412 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21413 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21414 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21415 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21416 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21418 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21419 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
21422 (setq message-required-news-headers
21423 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21424 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21427 Using the last function would be something like this:
21430 (setq message-required-news-headers
21431 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21432 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21433 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21434 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21439 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21442 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21443 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21444 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21445 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21446 unusual directory structure.
21448 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21449 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21450 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21451 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21453 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21454 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21455 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21456 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21457 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21458 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21460 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21461 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21462 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21467 @subsubsection Toolbar
21471 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21472 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21473 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21474 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21475 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21477 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21478 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21479 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21481 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21482 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21483 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21485 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21486 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21487 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21498 @node Fuzzy Matching
21499 @section Fuzzy Matching
21500 @cindex fuzzy matching
21502 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21503 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21505 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21506 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21507 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21509 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21510 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21511 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21512 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21513 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21516 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21517 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21521 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21523 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21524 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21525 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21526 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21527 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21528 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21529 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21530 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21533 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21534 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21535 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21536 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21537 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21538 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21540 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21543 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21544 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21545 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21546 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21547 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21548 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21551 @node The problem of spam
21552 @subsection The problem of spam
21554 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21555 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21557 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21559 First, some background on spam.
21561 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21562 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21563 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21564 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21565 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21566 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21567 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21568 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21570 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21571 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21572 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21573 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21574 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21575 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21576 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21577 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21578 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21581 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21582 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21583 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21584 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21585 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21586 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21587 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21588 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21589 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21590 mail can be useful.
21592 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21593 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21594 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21595 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21596 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21597 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21598 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21599 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21600 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21602 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21603 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21604 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21605 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21606 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21607 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21608 because of the incident.
21610 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21611 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21612 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21613 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21614 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21615 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21616 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21617 to store the database of spam analyses.
21619 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21620 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21624 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21626 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21627 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21629 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21630 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21631 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21632 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21633 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21634 part of the mail address.)
21637 (setq message-default-news-headers
21638 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21641 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21642 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21647 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21648 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21649 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21655 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21656 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21657 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21658 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21660 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21661 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21662 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21663 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21664 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21665 your fancy split rule in this way:
21670 (to "larsi" "misc")
21674 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21675 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21676 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21677 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21678 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21680 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21681 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21682 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21683 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21684 cosmic balance somewhat.
21686 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21687 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21688 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21689 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21694 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21695 @cindex SpamAssassin
21696 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21699 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21700 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21701 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21702 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21703 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21704 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21705 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21707 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21708 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21709 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21710 Specifiers}) follows.
21714 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21717 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21720 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21721 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21722 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21725 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21729 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21732 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21733 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21737 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21738 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21739 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21740 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21743 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21745 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21747 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21748 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21750 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21752 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21753 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21757 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21758 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21759 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21762 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21763 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21765 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21766 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21767 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21771 @subsection Hashcash
21774 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21775 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21776 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21777 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21778 in smaller communities.
21780 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21781 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21782 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21783 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21784 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21785 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21786 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21787 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21788 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21789 one of them separately.
21792 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21793 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21794 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21795 header. For more details, and for the external application
21796 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21797 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21798 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21800 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21804 (require 'hashcash)
21805 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21808 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21809 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21810 development contrib directory.
21812 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21816 @item hashcash-default-payment
21817 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21818 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21819 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21820 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21822 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21823 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21824 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21825 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
21826 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
21827 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
21828 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
21829 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
21830 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21834 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21838 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21839 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21840 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21841 a useful contribution, however.
21843 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21844 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21845 @cindex spam filtering
21848 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21849 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21850 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21851 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21854 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21855 the following keyboard commands:
21865 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21866 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21868 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
21869 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21870 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21871 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21877 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21878 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21880 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
21886 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21887 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21890 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21891 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21892 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21893 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21894 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21895 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21896 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21897 will be detected later.
21899 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21900 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21901 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21902 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21903 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21904 by customizing the corresponding variable
21905 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21906 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21907 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21908 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21909 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21910 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21911 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21914 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21915 they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21916 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
21917 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
21918 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
21919 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21920 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21921 will study them as spam samples.
21923 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21924 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21925 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21926 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21927 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21928 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21929 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21930 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21932 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21933 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21934 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21935 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21938 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21939 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21940 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21943 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21944 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21945 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21946 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21947 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21948 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
21951 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21952 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21953 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
21954 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
21955 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
21956 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
21957 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
21958 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
21959 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
21960 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
21961 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
21963 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21964 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21966 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
21967 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
21968 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
21969 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
21970 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
21971 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
21972 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
21973 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
21974 the spam articles are only expired.
21976 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21977 must add the following to your fancy split list
21978 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21984 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21985 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21986 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21988 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21989 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21990 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21991 but you can customize it.
21993 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
21995 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
21996 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
21997 the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
21998 message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
21999 or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
22000 message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
22001 because it will slow IMAP down.
22003 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22005 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22006 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22007 longer spam or ham.}
22009 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22010 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22013 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22014 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22017 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22018 * BBDB Whitelists::
22020 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22022 * ifile spam filtering::
22023 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22024 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22027 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22028 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22029 @cindex spam filtering
22030 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22031 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22034 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22036 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22037 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22038 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22039 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22044 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22046 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22047 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22048 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22049 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22050 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22054 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22056 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22057 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22058 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22062 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22064 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22065 customizing the group parameters or the
22066 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22067 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22068 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22072 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22074 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22075 customizing the group parameters or the
22076 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22077 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22078 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22079 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22080 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22084 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22085 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22086 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22087 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22088 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22090 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22091 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22092 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22093 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22095 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22096 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22097 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22098 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22099 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22100 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22102 @node BBDB Whitelists
22103 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22104 @cindex spam filtering
22105 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22106 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22109 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22111 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22112 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22113 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22114 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22115 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22116 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22117 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22121 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22123 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22124 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22125 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22126 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22127 classified as spammers.
22131 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22133 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22134 customizing the group parameters or the
22135 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22136 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22137 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22138 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22139 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22144 @subsubsection Blackholes
22145 @cindex spam filtering
22146 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22149 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22151 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22152 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22153 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22154 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22155 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22156 contains outdated servers.
22158 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22159 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22160 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
22161 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
22162 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
22163 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22167 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22169 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22173 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22175 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22176 blackhole server list. When set to nil, it has no effect.
22180 @defvar spam-use-dig
22182 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22183 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22187 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22188 ham processor for blackholes.
22190 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22191 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22192 @cindex spam filtering
22193 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22196 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22198 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22199 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22200 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22201 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22202 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22203 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22207 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22209 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22210 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22214 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22216 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22217 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22221 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22222 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22225 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22226 @cindex spam filtering
22227 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22230 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22232 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22235 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22236 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22237 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22238 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22239 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22240 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22242 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
22243 threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
22246 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22247 processing will be turned off.
22249 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22253 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22255 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22256 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22257 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22258 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22259 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22260 installation documents for details.
22262 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22266 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22267 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22268 customizing the group parameters or the
22269 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22270 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22271 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22274 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22275 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22276 customizing the group parameters or the
22277 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22278 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22279 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22280 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22281 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22284 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22286 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22287 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22288 database directory.
22292 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
22293 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22294 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22295 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22296 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22297 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22299 @node ifile spam filtering
22300 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22301 @cindex spam filtering
22302 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22305 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22307 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
22308 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22312 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22314 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22315 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22316 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22320 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22322 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22323 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22324 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22327 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22329 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22330 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22334 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22335 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22336 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22337 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22340 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22341 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22342 @cindex spam filtering
22343 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22347 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22349 @defvar spam-use-stat
22351 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22352 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22356 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22357 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22358 customizing the group parameters or the
22359 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22360 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22361 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22364 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22365 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22366 customizing the group parameters or the
22367 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22368 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22369 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22370 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22371 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22374 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
22375 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
22376 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
22377 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
22380 @node Extending the spam elisp package
22381 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
22382 @cindex spam filtering
22383 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
22384 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
22386 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
22387 incoming mail, provide the following:
22395 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
22396 "True if blackbox should be used.")
22401 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
22403 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
22408 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
22409 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
22410 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
22412 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
22413 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
22414 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
22418 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
22425 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
22426 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
22429 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22430 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
22431 Only applicable to spam groups.")
22433 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22434 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
22435 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
22443 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
22444 (spam-generic-register-routine
22445 ;; the spam function
22447 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22448 (when (stringp from)
22449 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
22450 ;; the ham function
22453 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
22454 (spam-generic-register-routine
22455 ;; the spam function
22457 ;; the ham function
22459 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22460 (when (stringp from)
22461 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
22464 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
22465 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
22466 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
22467 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
22468 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
22469 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
22474 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22475 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22476 @cindex Paul Graham
22477 @cindex Graham, Paul
22478 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
22479 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
22480 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
22482 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
22483 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
22484 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
22485 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
22486 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
22487 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
22488 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
22489 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
22490 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
22493 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
22494 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
22495 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
22496 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
22497 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
22498 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
22499 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
22500 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
22502 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
22503 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
22504 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
22505 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
22506 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
22509 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
22510 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
22511 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
22514 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22515 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22517 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
22518 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
22519 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
22520 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
22521 need several hundred emails in both collections.
22523 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
22524 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
22525 per mail. Use the following:
22527 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
22528 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
22529 is treated as one spam mail.
22532 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
22533 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22534 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22537 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22538 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22539 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22540 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22541 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22542 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22544 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
22545 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
22546 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22547 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22548 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22551 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
22552 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22553 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22554 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22557 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22558 reset the dictionary.
22560 @defun spam-stat-reset
22561 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22564 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22565 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22566 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22567 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22568 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22569 only non-spam mails.
22571 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22572 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22573 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22576 @defun spam-stat-save
22577 Save the dictionary.
22580 @defvar spam-stat-file
22581 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22582 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22585 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22586 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22588 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22589 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22592 (require 'spam-stat)
22596 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22599 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22600 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22601 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22602 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22604 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22605 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22606 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22607 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22610 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22611 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22615 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22616 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22619 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22620 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22621 expression are considered potential spam.
22624 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22625 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22626 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22630 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22631 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22632 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22633 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22634 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22637 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22638 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22639 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22643 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22644 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22645 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22646 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22647 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22651 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22652 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22653 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22654 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22659 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22660 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22662 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22664 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22665 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22666 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22669 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22670 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22671 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22674 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22675 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22676 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22677 already been processed as non-spam.
22680 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22681 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22682 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22683 been processed as spam.
22686 @defun spam-stat-save
22687 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22688 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22691 @defun spam-stat-load
22692 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22693 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22696 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22697 Return the spam score for a word.
22700 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22701 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22704 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22705 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22706 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22709 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22710 following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22713 (require 'spam-stat)
22717 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22720 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22721 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22722 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22723 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22724 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22725 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22726 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22727 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22728 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22729 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22730 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22731 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22732 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22733 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22736 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22739 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22740 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22741 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22742 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22743 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22744 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22747 @node Various Various
22748 @section Various Various
22754 @item gnus-home-directory
22755 @vindex gnus-home-directory
22756 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
22757 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
22759 @item gnus-directory
22760 @vindex gnus-directory
22761 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
22762 this variable, which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment
22763 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22765 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22766 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22767 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22768 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22770 @item gnus-default-directory
22771 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22772 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22773 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22774 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22775 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22776 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22777 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22780 @vindex gnus-verbose
22781 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22782 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22783 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22784 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22785 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22787 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22788 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22789 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22790 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22792 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22793 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22794 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22795 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22796 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22797 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22798 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22799 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22800 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22801 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22803 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22804 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22805 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22806 read when doing the operation described above.
22808 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22809 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22811 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22812 @cindex characters in file names
22813 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22814 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22815 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22818 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22822 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22823 Windows (phooey) systems.
22825 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22826 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22827 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22828 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22829 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22831 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22832 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22833 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22834 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22835 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22837 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22838 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22839 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22841 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22842 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22844 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22845 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22846 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22847 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22850 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22858 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22859 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22861 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
22863 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
22869 Not because of victories @*
22872 but for the common sunshine,@*
22874 the largess of the spring.
22878 but for the day's work done@*
22879 as well as I was able;@*
22880 not for a seat upon the dais@*
22881 but at the common table.@*
22886 @chapter Appendices
22889 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
22890 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
22891 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
22892 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
22893 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
22894 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
22895 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
22896 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
22897 * Frequently Asked Questions::
22904 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
22906 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
22907 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
22908 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
22909 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
22910 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
22911 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
22918 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22919 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22921 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22922 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22923 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22924 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22925 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22927 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22928 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22929 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22930 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22931 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22932 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22934 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22935 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22936 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22937 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22940 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22941 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22942 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22943 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22944 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22945 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22946 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22947 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22948 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22952 @node Gnus Versions
22953 @subsection Gnus Versions
22955 @cindex September Gnus
22957 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22958 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22962 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22963 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22964 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22966 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22967 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22969 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22970 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22972 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22973 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22975 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22976 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22979 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22981 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22982 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22983 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22984 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22985 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22986 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22989 @node Other Gnus Versions
22990 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22993 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22994 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22995 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22996 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22998 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22999 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23000 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23001 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23008 What's the point of Gnus?
23010 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23011 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23012 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23013 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23014 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23015 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23016 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23017 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23018 keep track of millions of people who post?
23020 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23021 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23022 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23023 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23024 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23025 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23026 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23027 every one of you to explore and invent.
23029 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23030 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23033 @node Compatibility
23034 @subsection Compatibility
23036 @cindex compatibility
23037 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23038 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23039 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23044 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23048 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23051 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23054 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23055 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23056 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23057 important variables have their values copied into their global
23058 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23059 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23061 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23062 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23063 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23064 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23065 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23069 @cindex highlighting
23070 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23071 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23072 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23073 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23074 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23075 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23078 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23079 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23080 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23081 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23083 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23084 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23085 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23086 to stop doing it the old way.
23088 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23090 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23092 @cindex reporting bugs
23094 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23095 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23096 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23098 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23099 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23100 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23101 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23106 @subsection Conformity
23108 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23109 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23117 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23121 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23123 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23124 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23125 We do have some breaches to this one.
23131 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23132 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23133 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23134 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23135 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23140 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23141 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23142 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23143 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23145 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23147 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
23149 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23150 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23152 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23155 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
23156 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
23157 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
23158 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
23159 decoding (verification and decryption).
23161 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23162 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23163 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23164 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23166 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23167 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
23169 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23170 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
23171 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
23172 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
23173 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
23174 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
23175 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
23179 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23180 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23185 @subsection Emacsen
23191 Gnus should work on :
23199 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
23203 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23204 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23207 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23208 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23209 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23213 @node Gnus Development
23214 @subsection Gnus Development
23216 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23217 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23218 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23219 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23220 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23221 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23222 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23223 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23225 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23226 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23227 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23228 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23229 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23232 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23233 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23234 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23235 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23236 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23238 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23239 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23240 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23241 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23242 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23243 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23244 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23245 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23246 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23247 can't be assumed to do so.
23252 @subsection Contributors
23253 @cindex contributors
23255 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23256 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23257 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23258 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23259 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23260 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23261 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23262 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23263 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23264 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23266 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23272 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23275 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23276 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
23277 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23278 functionality and stuff.
23281 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23282 well as numerous other things).
23285 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
23288 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
23291 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
23294 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
23297 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
23298 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
23301 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
23304 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
23305 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23308 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
23311 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
23314 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
23317 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
23320 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
23321 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
23324 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
23327 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
23330 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
23333 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
23337 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
23340 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
23343 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
23346 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
23347 well as autoconf support.
23351 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
23352 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
23354 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
23363 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
23367 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
23377 Alexei V. Barantsev,
23392 Massimo Campostrini,
23397 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
23398 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
23402 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
23405 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
23411 Michael Welsh Duggan,
23416 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
23420 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
23428 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
23430 Michelangelo Grigni,
23434 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
23436 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
23438 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
23445 François Felix Ingrand,
23446 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
23447 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
23449 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
23460 Peter Skov Knudsen,
23461 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
23463 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
23464 Thor Kristoffersen,
23467 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
23485 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
23486 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
23493 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
23498 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
23502 John McClary Prevost,
23508 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
23513 Christian von Roques,
23516 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
23523 Philippe Schnoebelen,
23525 Randal L. Schwartz,
23539 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23544 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23560 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
23565 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23566 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23567 (550kB and counting).
23569 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23572 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23573 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23577 @subsection New Features
23578 @cindex new features
23581 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23582 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23583 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23584 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23585 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23588 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23589 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23590 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23593 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23595 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23600 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
23601 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
23604 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
23605 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
23608 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
23611 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
23612 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
23613 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23616 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23617 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23618 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23619 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23622 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23623 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23626 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23627 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23628 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23631 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23632 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23635 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23636 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23637 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23640 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23641 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23642 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23645 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus.el}) to avoid cluttering up
23646 the @file{.emacs} file.
23649 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23650 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23653 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23654 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23657 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23658 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23661 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23662 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23665 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23666 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23669 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23672 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23673 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23676 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23677 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23680 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23681 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23684 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23687 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23688 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23691 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23695 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23699 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23700 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23703 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23709 @node September Gnus
23710 @subsubsection September Gnus
23714 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23718 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23723 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23724 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23728 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23729 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23733 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23737 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23738 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23741 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23745 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23748 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23751 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23754 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23758 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23759 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23762 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23766 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23770 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23774 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23778 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23781 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23782 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23785 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23789 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23790 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23793 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23796 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23797 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23798 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23801 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23805 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23808 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23812 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23813 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23816 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23817 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23820 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23821 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23824 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23825 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23826 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23829 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23830 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23833 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23836 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23839 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23842 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23845 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23846 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23849 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23853 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23856 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23861 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
23864 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
23868 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23871 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
23875 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
23878 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
23881 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
23882 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23885 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
23886 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
23890 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
23891 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
23894 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
23898 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
23899 buffer to allow easier treatment.
23902 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
23905 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
23909 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23913 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23914 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23917 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23921 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23922 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23925 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23926 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23929 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23933 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23936 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23939 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23945 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23947 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23951 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23958 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23961 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23962 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23965 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23966 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23970 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23971 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23974 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23977 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23978 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23981 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23985 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23986 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23990 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23991 Server Internals}).
23994 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23998 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24001 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24002 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24005 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24006 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24007 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24010 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24011 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24014 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24015 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24018 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24022 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24023 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24026 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24027 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24030 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24034 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24037 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24041 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24042 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24045 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24046 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24049 A new command for reading collections of documents
24050 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24051 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24054 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24058 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
24059 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24062 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24063 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24064 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24067 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24068 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24072 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24076 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24080 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24085 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24089 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24093 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24094 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24097 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24103 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24105 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24110 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24111 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
24112 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
24115 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24116 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24117 group, which is created automatically.
24120 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24124 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24127 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24128 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24131 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24135 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24138 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24139 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24142 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24145 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section ``Symbolic
24146 Prefixes'' in the Gnus manual for details.
24149 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24150 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24153 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24154 control over simplification.
24157 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24160 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24164 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24167 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24170 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24171 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24172 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24175 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24176 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24179 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24183 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24184 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24187 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24188 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
24191 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24195 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24198 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24201 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24202 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24205 A new function for citing in Message has been
24206 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24209 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24212 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24216 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24217 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24220 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24221 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24224 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24227 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24231 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24232 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24234 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24239 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24240 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24242 If you used procmail like in
24245 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24246 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24247 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24248 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24251 this now has changed to
24255 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24259 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
24260 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
24263 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24264 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24267 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24268 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24271 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24272 called to position point.
24275 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24276 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
24279 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
24280 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
24283 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
24284 subtly different manner.
24287 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
24288 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
24289 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
24292 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
24300 @section The Manual
24304 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
24305 either @code{texi2dvi}
24307 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
24308 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
24310 to get what you hold in your hands now.
24312 The following conventions have been used:
24317 This is a @samp{string}
24320 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
24323 This is a @file{file}
24326 This is a @code{symbol}
24330 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
24334 (setq flargnoze "yes")
24337 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
24340 (setq flumphel 'yes)
24343 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
24344 ever get them confused.
24348 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
24349 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
24350 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
24351 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
24352 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
24353 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
24354 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
24360 @node On Writing Manuals
24361 @section On Writing Manuals
24363 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
24364 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
24365 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
24366 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
24367 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
24368 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
24371 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
24372 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
24373 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
24376 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
24377 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
24382 @section Terminology
24384 @cindex terminology
24389 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
24390 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
24391 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
24392 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
24393 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
24397 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
24398 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
24399 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
24400 not posting, and replying is not following up.
24404 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
24408 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
24413 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
24414 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
24415 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
24416 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
24417 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
24418 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
24419 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
24420 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
24421 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
24423 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
24424 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
24425 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
24426 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
24427 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
24430 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
24431 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
24432 access the articles.
24434 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
24435 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
24436 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
24441 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
24442 default, way of getting news.
24446 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
24447 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
24452 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
24453 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
24457 A message that has been posted as news.
24460 @cindex mail message
24461 A message that has been mailed.
24465 A mail message or news article
24469 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
24474 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
24479 A line from the head of an article.
24483 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
24484 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
24488 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
24489 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
24490 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
24491 normal @sc{head} format.
24495 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
24496 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
24497 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
24498 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
24499 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
24500 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
24502 @item killed groups
24503 @cindex killed groups
24504 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
24505 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
24507 @item zombie groups
24508 @cindex zombie groups
24509 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
24512 @cindex active file
24513 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
24514 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
24515 is rather large, as you might surmise.
24518 @cindex bogus groups
24519 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
24520 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
24521 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
24524 @cindex activating groups
24525 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
24526 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
24527 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
24531 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
24533 @item select method
24534 @cindex select method
24535 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
24538 @item virtual server
24539 @cindex virtual server
24540 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
24541 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
24542 whole is a virtual server.
24546 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
24547 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
24550 @item ephemeral groups
24551 @cindex ephemeral groups
24552 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
24553 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
24554 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
24557 @cindex solid groups
24558 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
24559 group buffer are solid groups.
24561 @item sparse articles
24562 @cindex sparse articles
24563 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
24564 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
24568 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
24569 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
24573 @cindex thread root
24574 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
24575 articles in the thread.
24579 An article that has responses.
24583 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
24587 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
24588 specified by RFC 1153.
24594 @node Customization
24595 @section Customization
24596 @cindex general customization
24598 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
24599 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
24600 for some quite common situations.
24603 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
24604 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
24605 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
24606 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
24610 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
24611 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
24613 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
24614 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24615 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24619 @item gnus-read-active-file
24620 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24621 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24622 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24623 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24624 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24626 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24627 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24628 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24629 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24633 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24634 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24636 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24637 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24638 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24642 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24643 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24644 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24645 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24646 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24648 @item gnus-visible-headers
24649 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24650 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24651 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24652 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24654 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24656 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24657 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24658 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24661 @item gnus-use-full-window
24662 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24663 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24664 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24665 want to read them anyway.
24667 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24668 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24672 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24673 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24674 lines, which might save some time.
24678 @node Little Disk Space
24679 @subsection Little Disk Space
24682 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24683 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24687 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24688 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24689 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24690 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24693 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24694 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24695 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24696 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24699 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24700 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24701 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24702 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24703 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24709 @subsection Slow Machine
24710 @cindex slow machine
24712 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24713 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24715 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24716 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24718 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24719 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24720 summary buffer faster.
24724 @node Troubleshooting
24725 @section Troubleshooting
24726 @cindex troubleshooting
24728 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24736 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24739 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24740 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24744 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24745 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
24746 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
24747 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24750 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24754 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24755 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24756 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24757 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24758 something like that.
24761 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24764 @cindex reporting bugs
24766 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24768 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24769 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24770 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24771 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24773 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24774 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24775 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24776 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24779 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24780 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24781 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24782 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24783 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24784 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24786 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24787 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24788 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24792 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24793 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24796 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24797 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24798 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24799 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24800 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24801 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24802 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24803 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24804 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24805 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24806 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24807 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24808 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24809 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24814 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24815 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24816 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
24817 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24818 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24819 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24820 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24821 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24822 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24823 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET message}. Then perform
24824 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24825 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24826 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24827 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24828 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24829 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24830 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24831 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24833 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24834 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24836 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24837 @cindex ding mailing list
24838 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@email{ding@@gnus.org}.
24839 Write to @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24843 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24844 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24846 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24847 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24848 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24849 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24852 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24853 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24854 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24855 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24856 and general methods of operation.
24859 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24860 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24861 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
24862 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
24863 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
24864 * Group Info:: The group info format.
24865 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
24866 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
24867 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
24871 @node Gnus Utility Functions
24872 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
24873 @cindex Gnus utility functions
24874 @cindex utility functions
24876 @cindex internal variables
24878 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
24879 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
24880 Below is a list of the most common ones.
24884 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
24885 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
24886 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
24888 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
24889 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
24890 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
24892 @item gnus-group-real-name
24893 @findex gnus-group-real-name
24894 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
24897 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
24898 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
24899 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
24900 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
24902 @item gnus-get-info
24903 @findex gnus-get-info
24904 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
24906 @item gnus-group-unread
24907 @findex gnus-group-unread
24908 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
24912 @findex gnus-active
24913 The active entry for @var{group}.
24915 @item gnus-set-active
24916 @findex gnus-set-active
24917 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
24919 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24920 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24921 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
24924 @item gnus-continuum-version
24925 @findex gnus-continuum-version
24926 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
24927 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
24930 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
24931 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24932 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24934 @item gnus-news-group-p
24935 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24936 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24938 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24939 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24940 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24942 @item gnus-server-to-method
24943 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24944 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24946 @item gnus-server-equal
24947 @findex gnus-server-equal
24948 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24950 @item gnus-group-native-p
24951 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24952 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24954 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24955 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24956 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24958 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24959 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24960 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24962 @item group-group-find-parameter
24963 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24964 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24965 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24967 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24968 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24969 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24971 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24972 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24973 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24975 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24976 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24977 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24978 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24981 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24985 @item gnus-read-method
24986 @findex gnus-read-method
24987 Prompts the user for a select method.
24992 @node Back End Interface
24993 @subsection Back End Interface
24995 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24996 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24997 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24998 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24999 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
25000 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
25002 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
25003 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
25004 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
25005 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
25006 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
25007 been opened, the function should fail.
25009 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
25010 name. Take this example:
25014 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
25015 (nntp-port-number 4324))
25018 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
25019 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
25021 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
25022 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
25023 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
25025 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
25026 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
25027 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
25029 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
25030 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
25031 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
25032 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
25033 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
25034 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
25037 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
25038 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
25039 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
25040 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
25043 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
25044 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
25045 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
25046 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
25047 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
25048 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
25049 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
25050 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
25051 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
25052 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
25054 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
25055 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
25056 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
25057 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
25058 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
25059 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
25060 of numbers as long as possible.
25062 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
25063 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
25064 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
25066 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
25069 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
25072 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
25073 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
25074 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
25075 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
25076 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
25077 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
25081 @node Required Back End Functions
25082 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
25086 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
25088 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
25089 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
25090 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
25091 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
25093 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
25094 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
25095 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
25096 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
25098 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
25099 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
25100 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
25101 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
25102 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
25103 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
25104 number, do maximum fetches.
25106 Here's an example HEAD:
25109 221 1056 Article retrieved.
25110 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
25111 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
25112 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
25113 Subject: Re: Something very droll
25114 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
25115 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
25117 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
25118 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
25119 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
25123 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
25124 these in the data buffer.
25126 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
25130 head = error / valid-head
25131 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
25132 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
25133 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
25134 header = <text> eol
25138 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
25140 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
25141 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
25145 nov-buffer = *nov-line
25146 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
25147 field = <text except TAB>
25150 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
25154 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
25156 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
25157 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
25159 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
25160 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
25161 server. In fact, it should do so.
25163 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
25164 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
25167 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
25169 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
25170 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
25173 There should be no data returned.
25176 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
25178 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
25179 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
25180 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
25181 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
25183 There should be no data returned.
25186 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
25188 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
25189 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
25190 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
25191 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
25193 There should be no data returned.
25196 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
25198 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
25200 There should be no data returned.
25203 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
25205 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
25206 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
25207 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
25208 it would be nice if that were possible.
25210 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
25211 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
25212 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
25213 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
25214 into its article buffer.
25216 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
25217 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
25218 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
25219 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
25220 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
25221 on successful article retrieval.
25224 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
25226 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
25227 making @var{group} the current group.
25229 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
25232 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
25235 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
25238 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
25239 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
25240 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
25241 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
25242 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
25243 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
25244 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
25245 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
25246 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
25250 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
25251 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
25252 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
25256 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25258 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
25259 a no-op on most back ends.
25261 There should be no data returned.
25264 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
25266 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
25269 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
25272 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
25273 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
25276 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
25277 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
25278 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
25279 and the highest as 0.
25282 active-file = *active-line
25283 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
25285 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
25288 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
25289 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
25290 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
25293 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
25295 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
25296 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
25297 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
25298 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
25299 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
25300 clear if the posting could not be completed.
25302 There should be no result data from this function.
25307 @node Optional Back End Functions
25308 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
25312 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
25314 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
25315 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
25316 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
25318 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
25319 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
25320 former is in the same format as the data from
25321 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
25322 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
25325 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
25329 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
25331 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
25332 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
25333 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
25334 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
25335 should return a non-nil value.
25337 There should be no result data from this function.
25340 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
25342 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
25343 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
25344 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
25345 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
25346 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
25347 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
25348 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
25349 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
25351 There should be no result data from this function.
25354 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
25356 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
25357 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
25358 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
25359 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
25360 propagate the mark information to the server.
25362 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
25365 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
25368 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
25369 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
25370 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
25371 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
25372 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
25373 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
25374 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
25375 possible, not limit itself to these.
25377 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
25378 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
25379 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
25380 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
25382 An example action list:
25385 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
25386 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
25387 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
25390 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
25391 mark on (currently not used for anything).
25393 There should be no result data from this function.
25395 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
25397 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
25398 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
25399 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
25400 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
25401 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
25403 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
25404 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
25405 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
25408 There should be no result data from this function.
25411 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
25413 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
25414 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
25415 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
25416 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
25417 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
25418 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
25419 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
25421 There should be no result data from this function.
25424 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
25426 The result data from this function should be a description of
25430 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
25432 description = <text>
25435 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
25437 The result data from this function should be the description of all
25438 groups available on the server.
25441 description-buffer = *description-line
25445 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
25447 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
25448 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
25449 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
25450 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
25451 in the active buffer format.
25453 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
25454 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
25455 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
25456 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
25457 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
25458 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
25459 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
25462 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25464 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
25466 There should be no return data.
25469 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
25471 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
25472 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
25473 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
25474 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
25475 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
25478 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
25481 There should be no result data returned.
25484 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
25486 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
25487 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
25489 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
25490 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
25491 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
25492 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
25493 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
25494 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
25496 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
25497 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
25500 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25501 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25503 There should be no data returned.
25506 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
25508 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
25509 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
25510 this function in short order.
25512 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25513 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25515 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
25516 article for that group.
25518 There should be no data returned.
25521 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
25523 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
25524 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
25526 There should be no data returned.
25529 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
25531 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
25532 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
25533 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
25535 There should be no data returned.
25538 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
25540 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
25541 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
25543 There should be no data returned.
25548 @node Error Messaging
25549 @subsubsection Error Messaging
25551 @findex nnheader-report
25552 @findex nnheader-get-report
25553 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
25554 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
25555 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
25556 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
25557 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
25558 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
25561 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
25563 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
25566 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
25567 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
25568 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
25569 takes one argument---the server symbol.
25571 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
25572 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
25573 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
25576 @node Writing New Back Ends
25577 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
25579 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
25580 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
25581 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
25582 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
25583 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
25586 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
25587 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
25588 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
25590 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
25591 package called @code{nnoo}.
25593 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
25594 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
25600 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
25601 parameters. For instance:
25604 (nnoo-declare nndir
25608 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
25609 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
25612 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
25613 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
25614 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
25616 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25617 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25618 a function in those back ends.
25621 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25622 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25623 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25626 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25627 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25628 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25630 @item nnoo-define-basics
25631 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25635 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25639 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25640 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25641 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25643 @item nnoo-map-functions
25644 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25645 functions from the parent back ends.
25648 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25649 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25650 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25653 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25654 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25655 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25656 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25659 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25660 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25661 haven't already been defined.
25667 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25671 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25672 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25673 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25678 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25681 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25682 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25686 (require 'nnheader)
25690 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25692 (nnoo-declare nndir
25695 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25696 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25697 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25699 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25700 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25703 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25705 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25706 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25707 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25709 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25710 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25712 ;;; Interface functions.
25714 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25716 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25717 (setq nndir-directory
25718 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25720 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25721 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25722 (push `(nndir-current-group
25723 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25724 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25726 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25727 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25729 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25731 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25732 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25733 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25734 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25735 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25739 nnmh-status-message
25741 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25747 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25748 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25750 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25751 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25752 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25753 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25754 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25756 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25757 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25762 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25765 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25767 The abilities can be:
25771 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25773 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25775 This back end supports both mail and news.
25777 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25780 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25781 articles and groups.
25783 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25784 true for almost all back ends.
25785 @item prompt-address
25786 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25787 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25788 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25792 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25793 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25795 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25796 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25797 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25798 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25801 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25802 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25803 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25806 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25807 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25810 This function takes four parameters.
25814 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25817 @item exit-function
25818 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25820 @item temp-directory
25821 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25824 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25825 performed for one group only.
25828 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25829 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25830 find the article number assigned to this article.
25832 The function also uses the following variables:
25833 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25834 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25835 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25836 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25840 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25841 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25845 @node Score File Syntax
25846 @subsection Score File Syntax
25848 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25849 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25850 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25852 Here's a typical score file:
25856 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
25863 BNF definition of a score file:
25866 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
25867 element = rule / atom
25868 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
25869 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
25870 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
25871 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
25873 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
25874 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
25875 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
25876 date-header = "date"
25877 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25878 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25879 score = "nil" / <integer>
25880 date = "nil" / <natural number>
25881 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
25882 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
25883 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
25884 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
25885 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25886 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25887 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
25888 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25889 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
25890 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
25891 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
25892 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
25893 exclude-files / read-only / touched
25894 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
25895 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
25896 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
25897 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
25898 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
25899 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
25900 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
25901 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
25902 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
25903 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
25904 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
25905 eval = "eval" space <form>
25906 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
25909 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
25912 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
25913 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
25914 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
25915 one looong line, then that's ok.
25917 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
25918 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25922 @subsection Headers
25924 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
25925 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
25926 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
25927 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
25929 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
25930 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
25931 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
25932 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
25933 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
25934 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
25935 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
25937 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
25938 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
25939 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
25940 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25941 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25943 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25944 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25950 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25951 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25953 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25954 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25955 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25956 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25958 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25962 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25965 is transformed into
25968 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25971 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25972 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25975 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25978 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25979 is slightly tricky:
25982 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25988 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25991 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25997 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
26004 and is equal to the previous range.
26006 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
26007 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
26008 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
26012 range = simple-range / normal-range
26013 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
26014 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
26015 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
26016 number *[ " " contents ]
26019 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
26020 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
26021 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
26022 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
26023 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
26028 @subsection Group Info
26030 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
26031 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
26032 describes the group.
26034 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
26035 second is a more complex one:
26038 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
26040 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
26041 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
26043 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
26046 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
26047 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
26048 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
26049 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
26050 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
26051 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
26052 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
26053 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
26054 this section is about.
26056 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
26057 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
26058 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
26060 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
26063 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
26064 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
26065 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26066 group = quote <string> quote
26067 ralevel = rank / level
26068 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
26069 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
26070 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
26072 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
26073 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
26074 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
26075 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
26078 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
26079 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
26082 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
26083 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
26086 @item gnus-info-group
26087 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
26088 @findex gnus-info-group
26089 @findex gnus-info-set-group
26090 Get/set the group name.
26092 @item gnus-info-rank
26093 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
26094 @findex gnus-info-rank
26095 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
26096 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
26098 @item gnus-info-level
26099 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
26100 @findex gnus-info-level
26101 @findex gnus-info-set-level
26102 Get/set the group level.
26104 @item gnus-info-score
26105 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
26106 @findex gnus-info-score
26107 @findex gnus-info-set-score
26108 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
26110 @item gnus-info-read
26111 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
26112 @findex gnus-info-read
26113 @findex gnus-info-set-read
26114 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
26116 @item gnus-info-marks
26117 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
26118 @findex gnus-info-marks
26119 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
26120 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
26122 @item gnus-info-method
26123 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
26124 @findex gnus-info-method
26125 @findex gnus-info-set-method
26126 Get/set the group select method.
26128 @item gnus-info-params
26129 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
26130 @findex gnus-info-params
26131 @findex gnus-info-set-params
26132 Get/set the group parameters.
26135 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
26136 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
26138 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
26139 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
26140 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
26141 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
26144 @node Extended Interactive
26145 @subsection Extended Interactive
26146 @cindex interactive
26147 @findex gnus-interactive
26149 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
26150 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
26151 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
26154 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
26155 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
26160 The best thing to do would have been to implement
26161 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
26162 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
26163 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
26164 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
26165 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
26166 @code{interactive}.
26168 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
26173 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
26174 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
26178 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
26179 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
26180 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
26183 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
26187 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
26191 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
26197 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
26198 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
26202 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
26203 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
26204 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
26206 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
26207 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
26208 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
26209 Gnus, that's very useful.
26211 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
26212 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
26213 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
26214 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
26215 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
26216 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
26217 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
26218 following function:
26221 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
26225 (,function ,@@args))
26229 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
26230 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
26231 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
26234 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
26235 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
26236 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
26238 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
26239 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
26240 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
26243 @node Various File Formats
26244 @subsection Various File Formats
26247 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
26248 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
26252 @node Active File Format
26253 @subsubsection Active File Format
26255 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
26256 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
26259 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
26262 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
26263 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
26264 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
26265 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
26266 no.general 1000 900 y
26269 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
26272 active = *group-line
26273 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
26274 group = <non-white-space string>
26276 high-number = <non-negative integer>
26277 low-number = <positive integer>
26278 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
26281 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
26282 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
26285 @node Newsgroups File Format
26286 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
26288 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
26289 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
26290 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
26293 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
26294 Here's the definition:
26298 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
26299 group = <non-white-space string>
26301 description = <string>
26306 @node Emacs for Heathens
26307 @section Emacs for Heathens
26309 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
26310 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
26311 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
26312 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
26313 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
26314 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
26315 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
26319 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
26320 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
26325 @subsection Keystrokes
26329 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
26332 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
26335 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
26336 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
26337 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
26338 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
26339 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
26340 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
26342 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
26343 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
26344 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
26345 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
26346 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
26347 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
26348 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
26350 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
26351 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
26352 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
26353 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
26354 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
26355 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
26356 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
26358 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
26359 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
26360 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
26361 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
26362 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
26368 @subsection Emacs Lisp
26370 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
26371 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
26372 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
26373 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
26375 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
26376 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
26377 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
26378 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
26379 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
26380 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
26381 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
26384 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
26385 write the following:
26388 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
26391 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
26392 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
26393 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
26396 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
26397 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
26398 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
26399 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
26400 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
26402 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
26403 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
26404 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
26408 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
26412 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
26415 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
26416 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
26419 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
26422 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
26423 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
26426 @include gnus-faq.texi
26446 @c Local Variables:
26448 @c coding: iso-8859-1
26450 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
26451 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
26452 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
26453 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
26454 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref