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+{
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+\gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
+\newpage
+}
+
+\mbox{}
+\vfill
+
+\thispagestyle{empty}
+
+Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
+this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
+are preserved on all copies.
+
+Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
+manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
+entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
+permission notice identical to this one.
+
+Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
+into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
+
+\newpage
+\end{titlepage}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
@ifinfo
This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
-Copyright (C) 1995 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
@end ifinfo
-@iftex
+@tex
@titlepage
-@title Gnus Manual
+@title Red Gnus Manual
@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
@page
+
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
-Cover art by Etienne Suvasa.
@end titlepage
@page
-@end iftex
+@end tex
+
@node Top
-@top The Gnus Newsreader
+@top The Red Gnus Newsreader
+
+@ifinfo
You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
-can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of - @sc{nntp}, local
+can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
luck.
-@menu
-* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
-* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
-* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
-* The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
-* The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
-* The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
-* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
-* Various:: General purpose settings.
-* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
-* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
-* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
-* Appendix:: Technical stuff for technical people.
-* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
-* Key Index:: Key Index.
-@end menu
+@end ifinfo
-@node History
-@chapter History
+@iftex
-@cindex history
-@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu UMEDA. When autumn crept up in '94,
-Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
+@iflatex
+\thispagestyle{empty}
+@end iflatex
-The recommended pronunciation of the name this program is "ding
-guh-noose", with "ding" being half-sung in a loud, high-pitched voice,
-and "guh-noose" being grumbled and a disaffected fashion. Any
-irritation and/or damage this name may cause you is not the
-responsibility of the author, even though you might like to strangle him
-for the stupid idea.
+Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
+unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
-If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
-can point your (feh!) web browser to
-@file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
-distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, also know as
-The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
+Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
+being accused of plagiarism:
-During the first extended alpha period of develpment, the new Gnus was
-called "(ding) Gnus". @dfn{(ding)}, is, of course, short for @dfn{ding
-is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares? (Besides,
-the "Gnus" in this abbreviation should probably be pronounced "news" as
-UMEDA intended, which makes it a more appropriate name, don't you
-think?)
+Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
+about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
+you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
+even read news with it!
-In any case, after spending all that energy with coming up with a new
-and spiffy name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spiffy, so we
-renamamed it back again to "Gnus". But in mixed case. "Gnus" vs.
-@sc{gnus}. New vs. old.
+Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
+people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
+allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
+like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
+people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
+the program.
+
+@end iftex
-Incidentally, the next Gnus generation will be called "September Gnus",
-and won't be released until February. Confused? You will be.
@menu
-* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
-* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
-* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
-* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
-* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
-* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
+* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
+* The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
+* The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
+* The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
+* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
+* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
+* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
+* Various:: General purpose settings.
+* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
+* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
+* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
+* Key Index:: Key Index.
@end menu
-@node Why?
-@section Why?
-What's the point of Gnus?
-I want to provide a "rad", "happening", "way cool" and "hep" newsreader,
-that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my original
-motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to me that
-this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
-Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
-volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
-newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
-newsgroups that have hundreds (or thousands) of new articles each day?
+@node Starting Up
+@chapter Starting Gnus
+@cindex starting up
-Gnus offer no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
-like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
-reading and fetching news. Expanding on Umeda-san's wise decision to
-separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
-interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
-and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
-everywhere I can imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one of
-you to explore and invent new ways of reading news.
+@kindex M-x gnus
+@findex gnus
+If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
+and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
+your Emacs.
-May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
+@findex gnus-other-frame
+@kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
+If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
+@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
-@node Compatibility
-@section Compatibility
+If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
+variables.
-@cindex compatibility
-Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
-bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
-but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
+@menu
+* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
+* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
+* Slave Gnusii:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
+* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
+* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
+* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
+* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
+@end menu
-Our motto is:
-@quotation
-@cartouche
-@center In a cloud bones of steel.
-@end cartouche
-@end quotation
-All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
-their names.
+@node Finding the News
+@section Finding the News
-The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
-Articles}.
+@vindex gnus-select-method
+@c @head
+The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
+news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
+@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
+native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
+foreign groups.
-One major compatibility question if the presence of several summary
-buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
-buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although most
-important variables have their values copied into their global
-counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
-change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
+For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
+you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
-All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
-fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-assoc} (or
-changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
-maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this assoc (which
-speeds up many functions), and changing the assoc directly will lead to
-peculiar results.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
+@end lisp
-@cindex hilit19
-@cindex highlighting
-Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
-remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
-(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook}, @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} and
-@code{gnus-summary-article-hook}). (Well, at the very least the first
-two.) Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting.
-These are faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody,
-Gnus will by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks.
-Uncleanliness! Away!
+If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
-Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
-fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
-code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
-does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
-Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
-new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
-doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
-to stop doing it the old way.
+If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
+certainly be much faster.
-Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
+@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
+@cindex NNTPSERVER
+@cindex @sc{nntp} server
+If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
+@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
+Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
+(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
+that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
+running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long-shot, though.
-@kindex M-x gnus-bug
-Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
-@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
-please let me know (@kbd{M-x gnus-bug}).
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
+@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
+@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
-Problems specific to GNU XEmacs can be reported to popineau@@ese-metz.fr
-(Fabrice Popineau). I will just forward any such questions to him,
-anyway, so you might have to wait longer if you mail XEmacs questions to
-me.
+@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
+You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
+@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
+(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
+in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
+type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+@kindex B (Group)
+However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
+interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
+better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
+let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
+to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
+maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
-@node Conformity
-@section Conformity
+@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
+@c @head
+A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
+listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
+@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
+files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
+appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
+groups are.
-No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
-to man. Except, of course, where we disagree with the standards and/or
-conventions.
+For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
+would typically set this variable to
-@table @strong
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
+@end lisp
-@item RFC 822
-There are no known breaches to this standard.
-@item RFC 1036
-There are no known breaches to this standard, either.
+@node The First Time
+@section The First Time
+@cindex first time usage
-@item Usenet Seal of Approval
-Gnus hasn't been formally through the Seal process, but I have read
-through the Seal text, and I think that Gnus would pass.
+If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
+be subscribed by default.
-@item Son-of-RFC 1036
-We do have some breaches to this one.
+@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
+If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
+will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
+killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
+something useful.
-@table @emph
-@item MIME
-Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
-MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
-@item X-Newsreader
-This is considered to be a "vanity header", while I consider it to be
-consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
-coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
-those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
-for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
-@item References
-Gnus does line breaking on this header. I infer from RFC1036 that being
-conservative in what you output is not creating 5000-character lines, so
-it seems like a good idea to me. However, this standard-to-be says that
-whitespace in the @code{References} header is to be preserved, so... It
-doesn't matter one way or the other to Gnus, so if somebody tells me
-what The Way is, I'll change it. Or not.
-@end table
+Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
+picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
+defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
-@end table
+You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
+help you with most common problems.
-If you ever see Gnus act noncompliantly to the texts mentioned above,
-don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us know.
+If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
+use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
+special.
-@node Contributors
-@section Contributors
-@cindex contributors
+@node The Server is Down
+@section The Server is Down
+@cindex server errors
-The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
-people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for months I have gotten
-tens of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy, every single
-one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been tried beyond
-endurance, what with my "oh, that's a neat idea <type type>, yup, I'll
-release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't work at all <type
-type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship off> no, wait, that
-absolutely does not work" policy for releases. Microsoft - bah. I'm
-@emph{much} worse.
+If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
+problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
+the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
-I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
-wrong show.
+Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
+without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
+will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
+given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
+for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
+groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
+buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
+
+@findex gnus-no-server
+@kindex M-x gnus-no-server
+@c @head
+If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
+your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
+@code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
+if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
+your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
+1 and 2. (You should preferrably keep no native groups on those two
+levels.)
+
+
+@node Slave Gnusii
+@section Slave Gnusiï
+@cindex slave
+
+You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
+same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (eg., if you
+are using the two different Gnusiï to read from two different servers),
+that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
+
+The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusiï that use the same
+@code{.newsrc} file.
+
+To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
+Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
+@dfn{servants}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
+taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
+conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
+me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
+Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
+
+Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
+however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusiï should be started with
+@kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
+files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contains information only
+on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
+starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
+information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
+they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
+
+Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
+information in the normal (i. e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
+
+
+@node Fetching a Group
+@section Fetching a Group
+
+@findex gnus-fetch-group
+It it sometime convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
+group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
+perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
+command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
+It takes the group name as a parameter.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Of course, GNUS was written by Masanobu UMEDA.
-@item
-Many excellent functions, especially dealing with scoring and
-highlighting (as well as the soon-to-come @sc{soup} support) was written
-by Per Abrahamsen.
-@item
-Innumerable bug fixes were written by Sudish Joseph.
-@item
-The refcard was written by Vladimir Alexiev.
-@item
-I stole some pieces from the XGnus distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
-@item
-nnfolder has been much enhanced by Scott Byer.
-@item
-The orphan scoring was written by Peter Mutsaers.
-@item
-GNU XEmacs support has been added by Fabrice Popineau.
-@item
-Various bits and pieces, especially dealing with .newsrc files, was
-suggested and added by Hallvard B Furuseth.
-@item
-Brian Edmonds has written @code{gnus-bbdb}, as well as other bits and
-pieces.
-@item
-Ricardo Nassif did the proof-reading.
-@item
-Kevin Davidson came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
-@item
-Stainless Steel Rat, Ulrik Dickow, Jack Vinson, Daniel Quinlan, Ilja
-Weis, Frank D. Cringle, Geoffrey T. Dairiki and Andrew Eskilsson have
-all contributed code and suggestions.
-@end itemize
+@node New Groups
+@section New Groups
+@cindex new groups
-@node New Features
-@section New Features
-@cindex new features
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
+What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
+@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
-@itemize @bullet
+This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
+are:
-@item
-The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
-(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
-
-@item
-Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
-(@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@table @code
-@item
-You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{nnvirtual}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
+Make all new groups zombies. You can browse the zombies later (with
+@kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly, or subscribe to them.
+This is the default.
-@item
-You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Reading Mail}).
-All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
-(@code{Expiring Old Mail Articles}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
+Subscribe all new groups randomly.
-@item
-Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
-their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads in one thread) or it
-can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
-(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
-@item
-Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
-them as well.
-
-@item
-Gnus can do partial group updates - you do not have to retrieve the
-entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
-(@pxref{The Active File}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
+function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
+alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
+hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
+@samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
+up. Or something like that.
-@item
-Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
-(@pxref{Group Levels}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
+Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
+you about @strong{all} new groups.
-@item
-You can score articles according to any number of criteria (@pxref{Score
-Files}). You can even get Gnus to score articles for you
-(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-killed
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
+Kill all new groups.
-@item
-Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
-manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
-read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+@end table
-@item
-Gnus now has its own startup file to avoid cluttering up the
-@file{.emacs} file.
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
+A closely related variable is
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
+mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
+hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
+will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
+hierarchy or not.
-@item
-You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
-operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
+will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
-@item
-You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
-results (@pxref{nnkiboze}).
+A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
+subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
+the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
-@item
-You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
-(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+@example
+options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
+@end example
-@item
-You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
-servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
+This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
+person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
+groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
+be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
+be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
+subscribing these groups.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
+variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
-@item
-Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
-server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
+@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
+If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
+set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
+@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
+same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
+and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
+subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
-@item
-You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
+@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
+Yet another variable that meddles here is
+@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
+@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
+thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
+meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
+more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
+that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
+don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
-@item
-The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
+If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
+you could set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
+also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
+@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
+@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
+is @code{t} by default.
-@item
-You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
-of @sc{gnus} past (@pxref{Uuencoding & Posting}).
+Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
+list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
+dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
+@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
+server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster &
+cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
+groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
+@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
+Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
+Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
+
+I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
+server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
+fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
+@code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
+few days. If any do, then it works. If any don't, then it doesn't
+work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
+supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
+You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
+whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
+it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
+@samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
-@item
-Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
-glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
+issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
+subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
+if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
+that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
+Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
-@item
-Gnus can fetch FAQs to and descriptions of groups (@pxref{Group
-Information}).
-@item
-Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
-(@pxref{nndoc}).
+@node Changing Servers
+@section Changing Servers
-@item
-Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
-Articles}).
+Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
+This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
+very flake and you want to use another.
-@item
-All Gnus buffers can be customized in a difficult fashion
-(@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
+Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
+@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
-@item
-You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
-(@pxref{Buttons}).
+@emph{Wrong!}
-@end itemize
+Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
+@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
+you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
+change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
+worthless.
-This is, of course, just a @emph{short} overview of the @emph{most}
-important new features. No, really. There are tons more. Yes, we have
-feeping creaturism in full effect, but nothing too gratuitous, I would
-hope.
+Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
+file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
+common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
+functions more than absolutely necessary.
+@kindex M-x gnus-change-server
+@findex gnus-change-server
+If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
+the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map
+reads and article marks. The @kbd{M-x gnus-change-server} command will
+do this for all your native groups. It will prompt for the method you
+want to move to.
-@node Newest Features
-@section Newest Features
-@cindex todo
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+@findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
+move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
-Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
-next millennium.
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
+that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
-Be afraid. Be very afraid.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done. I was hoping
-I could steal code from @code{Mew}, the @sc{mime} mail reader for Emacs,
-but I'm not quite sure what the status of that project is. Gnus might
-support @sc{mime} quite soon, and it might not.
+@node Startup Files
+@section Startup Files
+@cindex startup files
+@cindex .newsrc
-@item
-@code{trn}-like trees.
-@item
-@code{nn}-like pick-and-read summary interface.
-@item
-NoCeM support.
-@item
-Frame configuration.
-@item
-Re-sending bounced mail and rejected articles.
-@item
-Floating point group levels and group bubbling.
-@item
-@file{/etc/nntpserver} usage.
-@item
-Automatic re-scan of incoming mail.
-@item
-Buttonize more stuff in the article buffer.
-@item
-A better and simpler method for specifying mail composing methods.
-@item
-Marks for saved, forwarded, etc articles.
-@item
-Speed up caching and adaptive scoring.
-@item
-Gather thread by filling in missing Message-IDs.
-@item
-Slave Gnusii to enable several Gnusii to run at once.
-@item
-PGP support.
-@item
-Allow posting through mail-to-news gateways.
-@item
-Allow renaming mail groups in a simple fashion.
-@item
-Speed up massive group massacres.
-@item
-@code{jka-compr} isn't fully supported.
-@item
-Create better digests.
-@item
-Do better word-wrap on cited text.
-@item
-Better X-Face support with X-Face databases and stuff.
-@item
-Support SELF-DISCIPLINE pins.
-@item
-Really do unbinhexing.
-@item
-Fetching by Message-ID should work in mail groups.
-@item
-Listing of all active groups.
-@item
-XEmacs toolbar.
-@item
-Do the X-Receipt-To thing.
-@item
-Hierarchal group buffers.
-@item
-Don't kill summary buffers upon exit from the groups.
-@item
-Allow adaption on secondary marks.
-@end itemize
+Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
+information is traditionally stored in this file.
-And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
-implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
+Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
+keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
+@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
+the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
+the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
+files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
+@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
-You can probably sneak a look at the actual up-to-the-second todo list
-by snooping @code{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/sgnus/todo>}.
+That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
+@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
+@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
+recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
-@node Terminology
-@chapter Terminology
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
+You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
+the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
+However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
+Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
-@cindex terminology
-@table @dfn
-@item news
-@cindex news
-This is what you are supposed to use this thing for - reading news.
-News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
-generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
-world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
-snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
-@item mail
-@cindex mail
-Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
-readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
-there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
-not posting, and replying is not following up.
-@item reply
-Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
-@item follow up
-Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
-are reading.
-@item backend
-Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
-backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak - this
-is all done by the backends.
-@item native
-Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
-default, way of getting news.
-@item foreign
-You can also have any number of foreign groups at the same time. These
-are groups that use different backends for getting news.
-@item head
-@cindex head
-The top part of an article, where administration information (etc.) is
-put.
-@item body
-@cindex body
-The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
-body.
-@item header
-@cindex header
-A line from the head of an article.
-@item headers
-@cindex headers
-A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
-collection of @sc{nov} lines.
-@item @sc{nov}
-@cindex nov
-When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers for all
-the unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
-format, which is much smaller and much faster to read than the normal
-HEAD format.
-@item level
-@cindex levels
-Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
-that have a lower level are "more" subscribed than the groups with a
-higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
-@dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
-are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
-articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
-@item killed groups
-@cindex killed groups
-No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
-groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
-@item zombie groups
-@cindex zombie groups
-Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
-@item active file
-@cindex active file
-The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
-groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
-is rather large, as you might surmise.
-@item bogus groups
-@cindex bogus groups
-A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
-server (i. e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
-This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
+If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
+will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
+save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
+will also means that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
+so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
+You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
+@code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
+Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
+the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
+saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
+several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
-@node Starting Up
-@chapter Starting Gnus
-@cindex starting up
+@vindex gnus-startup-file
+The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
+The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
+file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
-@kindex M-x gnus
-If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
-and reading news is extremely easy - you just type @kbd{M-x gnus}.
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
+files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
+saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
+@code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
+@file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
+control on or off. Version control is off by default when saving the
+startup files.
-If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
-variables.
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file} (default
+@file{.../site-lisp/gnus.el}) and @code{gnus-init-file} (default
+@file{~/.gnus.el}) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files and can be
+used to avoid cluttering your @file{.emacs} and @file{site-init} files
+with Gnus stuff.
-@menu
-* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
-* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
-* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
-* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
-* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files - @file{.newsrc}.
-* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
-* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
-* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
-@end menu
-
-@node Finding the News
-@section Finding the News
-
-@vindex gnus-select-method
-The @code{gnus-select-method} variable controls how Gnus finds news.
-This variable should be a list where the first element says @dfn{how}
-and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is is your native
-method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are foreign
-groups.
-
-For instance, if you want to get your daily dosage of news from the
-@samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server, you'd say:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
-@end lisp
-
-If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
-@end lisp
-
-If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
-certainly be much faster.
-
-If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
-@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that isn't set either, it
-will try to use the machine that is running Emacs as an @sc{nntp}
-server.
-
-@vindex gnus-nntp-server
-If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
-@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
-@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
-
-@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
-You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
-@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
-(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
-in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
-type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
-
-However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly, and are just
-interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
-better served by using the @code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}
-command from the group buffer. It will let you have a look at what
-groups are available, and you can subscribe to any of the groups you
-want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc} maintenance much tidier.
-@xref{Foreign Groups}.
-
-@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
-A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
-@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
-listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
-@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
-files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
-appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
-groups are.
-
-For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read you mail, you
-would typically set this variable to
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
-@end lisp
-
-@node The First Time
-@section The First Time
-@cindex first time usage
-
-If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
-be subscribed by default.
-
-@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
-If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
-will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
-killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
-something useful.
-
-Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few randomly picked
-groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Random} is here defined as
-"whatever Lars thinks you should read".)
-
-You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
-help you with most common problems.
-
-If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
-use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
-special.
-
-@node The Server is Down
-@section The Server is Down
-@cindex server errors
-
-If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
-problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
-the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
-
-Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
-without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
-will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
-given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
-for some reason or other.
-
-If Gnus says "nntp server on <your server> can't be opened. Continue?",
-you do not want to continue unless you have some foreign groups that you
-want to read. Even if you don't, Gnus will let you continue, but you'll
-find it difficult to actually do anything in the group buffer. But,
-hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
-
-@node New Groups
-@section New Groups
-@cindex new groups
-
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
-What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
-@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
-
-This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
-are:
-
-@table @code
-@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
-Subscribe all new groups randomly.
-@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
-Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
-@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
-Subscribe all new groups hierarchically.
-@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
-Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
-you about @strong{all} new groups.
-@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
-Make all new groups zombies. You can browse the zombies later and
-either kill them all off properly, or subscribe to them. This is the
-default.
-@end table
-
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
-A closely related variable is
-@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
-mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
-hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
-will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
-hierarchy or not.
-
-One common way to control which new newsgroups should be subscribed or
-ignored is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of the
-@file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
-
-@example
-options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
-@end example
-
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
-This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
-person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
-groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
-be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
-be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
-subscribing these groups.
-@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
-variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
-
-@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
-@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
-If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
-set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
-@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
-same as the @file{.newsrc} options -n trick. Both are regexps, and if
-the the new group matches the first, it will be unconditionally
-subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
-
-@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
-If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
-you could set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
-also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
-@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
-@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
-
-Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
-list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
-dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
-@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
-server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster &
-cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
-groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
-@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
-Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
-Unfortunately, not all servers support this function.
-
-This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
-issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
-subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
-if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
-that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
-Use the mantra "dingnusdingnusdingnus" to achieve permanent happiness.
-
-@node Startup Files
-@section Startup Files
-@cindex startup files
-@cindex .newsrc
-
-Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
-information is traditionally stored in this file.
-
-Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
-keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
-@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
-the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it duplicated everything in the
-@file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these files
-that were the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
-@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
-
-That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
-@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
-@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
-recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
-
-@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
-You can also turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
-@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
-the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
-However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
-Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
-
-@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
-If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the
-list of killed groups to the startup file. This will save both time
-(when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It will also means
-that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old, so the automatic
-new groups subscription methods become meaningless. You should always
-set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or @code{ask-server}
-if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New Groups}).
-
-@vindex gnus-startup-file
-The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
-The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
-file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
-
-@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
-@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving the @file{.newsrc}
-file.
@node Auto Save
@section Auto Save
this file.
If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
-read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
+read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
saved.
@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
-maintain a dribble buffer.
+maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
+
+@vindex gnus-dribble-directory
+Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
+into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
+normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
+file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
+
@node The Active File
@section The Active File
When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
-file that lists all the active groups and articles on the @sc{nntp}
-server.
+file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
@vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
-ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. This variable is
-@code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
-if you set it to anything else.
+ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
+recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
+Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
+
+@c This variable is
+@c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
+@c if you set it to anything else.
@vindex gnus-read-active-file
+@c @head
The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
-reading the active file.
+reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
-Gnus will try to make do by just getting information on the groups
-that you actually subscribe to.
+Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
+you actually subscribe to.
Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
-support the @samp{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this is not
-fast at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil},
-and is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
+support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
+at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
+is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
-If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will as for group info in total
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
-NNTP server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and read all
-the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
+@sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
+read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
-@samp{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
+@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
+
+In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
+kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
-In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should kill all
-groups that you aren't interested in.
@node Startup Variables
@section Startup Variables
@table @code
+
@item gnus-load-hook
@vindex gnus-load-hook
A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
-normally be run just once in a single Emacs session, no matter how many
+normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
times you start Gnus.
@item gnus-startup-hook
If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
@file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
-bogus groups isn't very quick, so to save time and resources, it's best
-to leave this option off, and instead do the checking for bogus groups
-once in a while from the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
+bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
+best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
+in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
@item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
@vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
your boss might not notice that you are reading news instead of doing
-your job.
+your job as easily.
@item gnus-no-groups-message
@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
@end table
+
@node The Group Buffer
@chapter The Group Buffer
@cindex group buffer
* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
-* Group Subscribing:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
-* Foreign Groups:: How to create foreign groups.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
-* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what if has to offer.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
@end menu
+
@node Group Buffer Format
@section Group Buffer Format
@cindex group buffer format
+@menu
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Group Line Specification
+@subsection Group Line Specification
+
The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
@vindex gnus-group-line-format
-You can fuck that up to your heart's delight by fiddling with the
+You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
@code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
-
-In addition to the normal "padding" specs that @code{format} supports
-(eg. @samp{%7d}), specifications like @samp{%7,12s} are allowed. A spec
-of this type means that the field will be at least 7 characters long,
-and never more that 12 characters long.
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
The default value that produced those lines above is
-@samp{"%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n"}.
+@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n}.
There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
-the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required - not
+the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
text properties.
Here's a list of all available format characters:
@table @samp
+
@item M
Only marked articles.
+
@item S
Whether the group is subscribed.
+
@item L
Level of subscribedness.
+
@item N
Number of unread articles.
+
@item I
Number of dormant articles.
+
@item T
Number of ticked articles.
+
@item R
Number of read articles.
+
@item t
-Total number of articles.
+Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
+minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
+
@item y
Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
+
@item i
Number of ticked and dormant articles.
+
@item g
Full group name.
+
@item G
Group name.
+
@item D
Newsgroup description.
+
@item o
-Moderated.
+@samp{m} if moderated.
+
@item O
-Moderated.
+@samp{(m)} if moderated.
+
@item s
Select method.
+
@item n
Select from where.
+
@item z
A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
used.
+
+@item P
+Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
+
+@item c
+@vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
+Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
+variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
+The default is @code{1}.
+
@item u
User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
@end table
@cindex *
-All the "number-of" specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*}) if
-no info is available - for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
+All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
+if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
group, or a bogus (or semi-bogus) native group.
+
+@node Group Modeline Specification
+@subsection Group Modeline Specification
+
@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
The mode line can be changed by setting
-(@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format}). It doesn't understand that many
-format specifiers:
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
+doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
@table @samp
@item S
-Default news server.
+The native news server.
@item M
-Default select method.
+The native select method.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Group Highlighting
+@subsection Group Highlighting
+
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight
+Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
+that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
+something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
+
+Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
+background is dark:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-highlight
+ `(((> unread 200) .
+ ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
+ ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
+ ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
+ ((< level 3) .
+ ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
+ ((zerop unread) .
+ ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
+ (t .
+ ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
+ ))
+@end lisp
+
+Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
+include:
+
+@table @code
+@item group
+The group name.
+@item unread
+The number of unread articles in the group.
+@item method
+The select method.
+@item mailp
+Whether the group is a mail group.
+@item level
+The level of the group.
+@item score
+The score of the group.
+@item ticked
+The number of ticked articles in the group.
+@item total
+The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
+MIN-NUMBER.
+@item topic
+When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
+topic being inserted.
@end table
+When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
+of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
+functions for snarfing info on the group.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-update-hook
+@findex gnus-group-highlight-line
+@code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
+It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
+calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
+
+
@node Group Maneuvering
@section Group Maneuvering
@cindex group movement
expected, hopefully.
@table @kbd
+
@item n
@kindex n (Group)
@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
Go to the next group that has unread articles
(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
+
@item p
+
@itemx DEL
@kindex DEL (Group)
@kindex p (Group)
@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
Go to the previous group group that has unread articles
(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
+
@item N
@kindex N (Group)
@findex gnus-group-next-group
Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+
@item P
@kindex P (Group)
@findex gnus-group-prev-group
Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+
@item M-p
@kindex M-p (Group)
@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
Go to the next unread group on the same level (or lower)
(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
+
@item M-n
@kindex M-n (Group)
@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
Three commands for jumping to groups:
@table @kbd
+
@item j
@kindex j (Group)
@findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
(@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
like living groups.
+
@item ,
@kindex , (Group)
@findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
(@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
+
@item .
@kindex . (Group)
@findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
@vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
-the commands that say they move to the next unread group.
+the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
+is @code{t}.
+
@node Selecting a Group
@section Selecting a Group
@cindex group selection
@table @kbd
+
@item SPACE
@kindex SPACE (Group)
@findex gnus-group-read-group
will fetch @var{N} number of articles. If @var{N} is positive, fetch
the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is negative, fetch the
@var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
+
@item RET
@kindex RET (Group)
@findex gnus-group-select-group
Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
(@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
-@code{gnus-group-read-group} - the only difference is that this command
+@code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
entry.
+
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
+This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
+minimum amount off fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
+scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
+expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
+enter some humongous group.
+
+@item M-SPACE
+@kindex M-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
+This is yet one more command that does the same as the one above, but
+this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
+(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
+
@item c
@kindex c (Group)
@findex gnus-group-catchup-current
+@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
-(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
+@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is when catching up a group from
+the group buffer.
+
@item C
@kindex C (Group)
@findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
-(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
+
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data
+Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
+read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
+
+@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you have switced from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
+clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
+caution.
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
-to be a big group. If the group has more unread articles than this,
-Gnus will query the user before entering the group. The user can then
-specify how many articles should be fetched from the server. If the
-user specifies a negative number (@samp{-n}), the @samp{n} oldest
-articles will be fetched. If it is positive, the @samp{n} articles that
-have arrived most recently will be fetched.
+to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
+unread articles than this, Gnus will query the user before entering the
+group. The user can then specify how many articles should be fetched
+from the server. If the user specifies a negative number (@code{-n}),
+the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it is positive, the
+@code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will be fetched.
@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
-If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, the first unread
-article in the group will be displayed when you enter the group. If you
-want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a binary
-group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil} in
-@code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is selected.
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
+automatically when entering a group.
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
-@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
-If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
-setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
-By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
-functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
+@table @code
-Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
-thread should be sorted before the other. If you use more than one
-function, the primary sort key should be the last function in the list.
+@item nil
+Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
+full summary buffer.
-If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
-date, you could do something like:
+@item t
+Select the first unread article when entering the group.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '(gnus-thread-sort-by-date
- gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
- gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
-@end lisp
+@item best
+Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
+group.
+@end table
+
+If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
+binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
+in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
+selected.
-@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
-The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
-@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
-functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
-tickles you fancy.
-@node Group Subscribing
-@section Group Subscribing
+@node Subscription Commands
+@section Subscription Commands
@cindex subscribing
@table @kbd
+
@item S t
@itemx u
@kindex S t (Group)
@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
Toggle subscription to the current group
(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+
@item S s
@itemx U
@kindex S s (Group)
Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
+
@item S k
@itemx C-k
@kindex S k (Group)
@kindex C-k (Group)
@findex gnus-group-kill-group
Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
+
@item S y
@itemx C-y
@kindex S y (Group)
@kindex C-y (Group)
@findex gnus-group-yank-group
Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
+
+@item C-x C-t
+@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
+Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
+really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
+kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
+
@item S w
@itemx C-w
@kindex S w (Group)
@kindex C-w (Group)
@findex gnus-group-kill-region
Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
+
@item S z
@kindex S z (Group)
@findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
+
+@item S C-k
+@kindex S C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-level
+Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
+These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
+be used with some caution. The only thing where this command comes in
+really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
+groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level @code{7} will
+kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
+@file{.newsrc} file.
+
@end table
+Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+
+
@node Group Levels
@section Group Levels
@cindex group level
group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
(@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
-a given level or lower (@pxref{Misc Group Stuff}).
+a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+
+Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
@table @kbd
+
@item S l
@kindex S l (Group)
@findex gnus-group-set-current-level
@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
@vindex gnus-level-subscribed
Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
-@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) to be subscribed,
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
-@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) to be unsubscribed,
-@code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead) and
-@code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed, completely dead. Gnus treats
-subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the same, but zombie and
-killed groups have no information on what articles you have read, etc,
-stored. This distinction between dead and living groups isn't done
-because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for reasons of
-efficiency.
+@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
+unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
+(default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
+completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
+the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
+articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
+living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
+for reasons of efficiency.
It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
low levels (eg. 1 or 2).
@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
-and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed}, which are the levels that new
-groups will be put on if they are (un)subscribed. These two variables
-should, of course, be inside the relevant legal ranges.
+(default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
+which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
+(un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
+relevant legal ranges.
@vindex gnus-keep-same-level
If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
by default.
-@vindex gnus-group-use-permament-levels
-If @code{gnus-group-use-permament-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
+@vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
+If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
+groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
+@code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
+listed.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
+If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
-use this level as the "work" level.
+use this level as the ``work'' level.
+
+@vindex gnus-activate-level
+Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
+@code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
+unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
+@code{5}.
+
+
+@node Group Score
+@section Group Score
+@cindex group score
+
+You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
+is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
+group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
+reason?
+
+This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
+group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
+Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
+the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
+that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
+on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
+part and the score is the least significant part.)
+
+@findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
+If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
+read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
+the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
+sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
+action after each summary exit, you can add
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
+slow things down somewhat.
+
@node Marking Groups
@section Marking Groups
@cindex marking groups
-If you want to perform some action on several groups, and they appear
+If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
bidding on those groups.
However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
-perform an action on several groups. You simply mark the groups first,
-and then execute the command.
+perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
+with the process mark and then execute the command.
@table @kbd
+
@item #
@kindex # (Group)
-@item M m
+@itemx M m
@kindex M m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-mark-group
Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
+
@item M-#
@kindex M-# (Group)
-@item < u
+@itemx M u
@kindex M u (Group)
@findex gnus-group-unmark-group
Remove the mark from the current group
(@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
+
+@item M U
+@kindex M U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
+Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
+
@item M w
@kindex M w (Group)
@findex gnus-group-mark-region
Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
-@end table
-
-@node Foreign Groups
-@section Foreign Groups
-@cindex foreign groups
-A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
-default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
-@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
-personal mail group.
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
+Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
+
+@item M r
+@kindex M r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
+Mark all groups that match some regular expression
+(@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
+@end table
-A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
-a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
-list where the first element says what backend to use (eg. @code{nntp},
-@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
-name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
-value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
+Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
-One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server} - so
-we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
+@findex gnus-group-universal-argument
+If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
+with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
+(@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
+the command to be executed.
-The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
-group as.
-For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
-@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
-method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group, in
-all circumstances, @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the
-nntp backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+@node Foreign Groups
+@section Foreign Groups
-Here are some commands for making and editing general foreign groups,
-and some commands to ease the creation of some special-purpose groups:
+Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
+groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
+special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
+groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
+consulted.
@table @kbd
+
@item G m
@kindex G m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-group
Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
-to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @xref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+
+@item G r
+@kindex G r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-rename-group
+Rename the current group to something else
+(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
+groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
+on some backends.
@item G e
@kindex G e (Group)
@item G d
@kindex G d (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
-Make a directory group. You will be prompted for a directory name
-(@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
+Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
+for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
@item G h
@kindex G h (Group)
@vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
-(@code{gnus-group-recent-archibe-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
-group will be created from from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
+(@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
+group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
@item G k
@kindex G k (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
-match groups to be "included" in the kiboze group, and a series of
+match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
+@xref{Kibozed Groups}
@item G D
@kindex G D (Group)
@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
-Read a random directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
+Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
+@xref{Anything Groups}.
@item G f
@kindex G f (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
+@cindex ClariNet Briefs
Make a group based on some file or other
-(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). You will be prompted for a file
-name and a file type. Currently supported types are @code{babyl},
-@code{mbox} and @code{digest}.
+(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
+Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
+@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs}, and
+@code{forward}. If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will
+guess at the file type. @xref{Document Groups}.
+
+@item G n
+@kindex G n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
+(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
+search engine type and the search string. Legal search engine types
+include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
+@xref{Web Searches}.
+
+@item G DEL
+@kindex G DEL (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-delete-group
+This function will delete the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
+actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
+group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
+absolutely sure of what you are doing.
@item G V
@kindex G V (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
-(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}).
+(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
@item G v
@kindex G v (Group)
(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
@end table
-The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
-
-@menu
-* nntp:: Reading news from a different @sc{nntp} server.
-* nnspool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-* nnvirtual:: Combining articles from many groups.
-* nnkiboze:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-* nndir:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
-* nneething:: Dired? Who needs dired?
-* nndoc:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
-* Reading Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
-@end menu
+@xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
+methods.
@vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
If the @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
-groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. It is @code{nil} by default,
-which means that you won't be told whether there are new articles in
-these groups. How many unread articles there are will be determined
-when, or if, you decide to enter them. You can also activate any group
-with @kbd{M-g} to see how many unread articles there are.
+groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
-@node nntp
-@subsection nntp
-@cindex @sc{nntp}
-Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
-You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
-server as the, uhm, address.
+@node Group Parameters
+@section Group Parameters
+@cindex group parameters
-If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
-third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
-to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
-that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+Gnus stores all information on a group in a list that is usually known
+as the @dfn{group info}. This list has from three to six elements.
+Here's an example info.
-The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
-fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
-you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+@lisp
+("nnml:mail.ding" 3 ((1 . 232) 244 (256 . 270)) ((tick 246 249))
+ (nnml "private") ((to-address . "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
+@end lisp
-The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
-server:
+The first element is the @dfn{group name}, as Gnus knows the group,
+anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
+normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
+read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
+of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
+server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
+parameters}, which is what this section is about.
-@table @code
-@item nntp-server-opened-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
-@cindex @sc{mode reader}
-@cindex authinfo
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
-@code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
-It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
-been contacted. By default is sends the command @samp{MODE READER} to
-the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. Another
-popular function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which will prompt you for
-an @sc{nntp} password and stuff.
+Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
+In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
+three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
-@item nntp-maximum-request
-@vindex nntp-maximum-request
-If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
-will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
-speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
-waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
-by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
-your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
+The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
-@item nntp-connection-timeout
-@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
-If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
-regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
-responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
-time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
-somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
-that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
-connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
-no timeouts are done.
+@table @code
+@item to-address
+@cindex to-address
+If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
+@code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
+the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
+mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
+it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
+subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
+goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
+copies of your followups.
+
+Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
+or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
+@samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
+the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
+group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
+list address instead.
+
+@item to-list
+@cindex to-list
+If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
+@code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
+doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
+followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
+group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
+
+@item broken-reply-to
+@cindex broken-reply-to
+Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
+headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
+reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
+@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
+broken behavior. So there!
-@item nntp-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-hook
-This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
-server.
+@item to-group
+@cindex to-group
+If the group parameter list contains an element like @code{(to-group
+. "some.group.name")}, all posts will be sent to that group.
-@c @findex nntp-open-rlogin
-@c @findex nntp-open-network-stream
-@c @item nntp-open-server-function
-@c @vindex nntp-open-server-function
-@c This function is used to connect to the remote system. Two pre-made
-@c functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
-@c simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
-@c is @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an rlogin on the remote system,
-@c and then does a telnet to the @sc{nntp} server available there.
-@c
-@c @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
-@c @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
-@c If you use @code{nntp-open-rlogin} as the
-@c @code{nntp-open-server-function}, this list will be used as the
-@c parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
-@c
-@c @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@c @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@c User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
-@c function.
+@item gcc-self
+@cindex gcc-self
+If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, new composed
+messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group.
-@item nntp-address
-@vindex nntp-address
-The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+@item auto-expire
+@cindex auto-expire
+If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, all articles that
+are read will be marked as expirable. For an alternative approach,
+@pxref{Expiring Mail}.
-@item nntp-port-number
-@vindex nntp-port-number
-Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
-connect function.
+@item total-expire
+@cindex total-expire
+If this symbol is present, all read articles will be put through the
+expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
+caution.
-@item nntp-buggy-select
-@vindex nntp-buggy-select
-Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+@item expiry-wait
+@cindex expiry-wait
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
+. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
+The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
+the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+
+@item score-file
+@cindex score file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
+means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
+
+@item adapt-file
+@cindex adapt file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
+All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
+
+@item admin-address
+When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
+unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
+messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
+put the admin address somewhere convenient.
+
+@item display
+Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} says which articles to
+display on entering the group. Legal values are:
-@item nntp-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
-If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
-variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
-can be used automatically.
+@table @code
+@item all
+Display all articles, both read and unread.
-@item nntp-xover-commands
-@vindex nntp-xover-commands
-List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
-server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
-"XOVERVIEW")}.
+@item default
+Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
+ticked articles.
+@end table
-@item nntp-nov-gap
-@vindex nntp-nov-gap
-@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
-the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
-if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
-article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
-lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
-big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
-@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
-network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
-that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{nntp} will never split requests.
+@item comment
+This parameter allows you to enter a arbitrary comment on the group.
-@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
-A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+@item @var{(variable form)}
+You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
+are entering. Say you want to turn threading off in
+@samp{news.answers}. You'd then put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in
+the group parameters of that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be
+made into a local variable in the summary buffer you enter, and the form
+@code{nil} will be @code{eval}ed there.
-@item nntp-async-number
-@vindex nntp-async-number
-How many articles should be pre-fetched when in asynchronous mode. If
-this variable is @code{t}, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch all the articles
-that it can without bound. If it is @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be
-made.
+This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
+If you want to hear a beep when you enter the group
+@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, you could put something like
+@code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
+@code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the @code{(ding)}
+form, but who cares?
@end table
-@node nnspool
-@subsection nnspool
-@cindex nnspool
-@cindex news spool
+Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
-Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
-and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups like
-@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}.
+Also @xref{Topic Parameters}.
-Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{""} (or
-anything else) as the address.
-If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
-native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}).
+@node Listing Groups
+@section Listing Groups
+@cindex group listing
-@table @code
-@item nnspool-inews-program
-@vindex nnspool-inews-program
-Program used to post an article.
+These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
-@item nnspool-inews-switches
-@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
-Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
+@table @kbd
-@item nnspool-spool-directory
-@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
-Where nnspool looks for the articles. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+@item l
+@itemx A s
+@kindex A s (Group)
+@kindex l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-groups
+List all groups that have unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
+command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
+only lists groups of level five or lower (i.e., just subscribed groups).
-@item nnspool-nov-directory
-@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
-Where nnspool will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
+@item L
+@itemx A u
+@kindex A u (Group)
+@kindex L (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
+List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
+(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
+this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
+it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
+unsubscribed groups).
-@item nnspool-lib-dir
-@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
-Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
+@item A l
+@kindex A l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-level
+List all unread groups on a specific level
+(@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
+with no unread articles.
-@item nnspool-active-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-file
-The path of the active file.
+@item A k
+@kindex A k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-killed
+List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
+prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
+currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
+from the server.
-@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
-The path of the group description file.
+@item A z
+@kindex A z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
+List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
-@item nnspool-history-file
-@vindex nnspool-history-file
-The path of the news history file.
+@item A m
+@kindex A m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-matching
+List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
-@item nnspool-active-times-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
-The path of the active date file.
+@item A M
+@kindex A M (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
+List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
-@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
-that it finds.
+@item A A
+@kindex A A (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-active
+List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
+server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
+might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
+to do a @kbd{A m} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
+thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
+don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
+Take the output with some grains of salt.
+
+@item A a
+@kindex A a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-apropos
+List all groups that have names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
-@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
-relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
-load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
+@item A d
+@kindex A d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
+List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
@end table
-@node nnvirtual
-@subsection nnvirtual
-@cindex nnvirtual
-@cindex virtual groups
-
-An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
-other groups.
-
-For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
-put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
-big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@cindex visible group parameter
+Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
+always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
+add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
+get the same effect.
-You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
-regexp to match component groups.
+@vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
+Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
+group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
+@code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
+groups. It is @code{t} by default.
-All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
-component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
-article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
-(And vice versa - marks from the component groups will also be shown in
-the virtual group.)
-Here's an example nnvirtual method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
-newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+@node Sorting Groups
+@section Sorting Groups
+@cindex sorting groups
-@lisp
-(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
-@end lisp
+@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
+@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
+The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
+group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
+include:
-The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
-smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+@table @code
-Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
-idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
-If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
-and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
-@example
-"^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
-@end example
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
-This should work kinda smoothly - all articles from both groups should
-end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
-the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
-sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
-(@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-level
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
+Sort by group level.
-One limitation, however - all groups that are included in a virtual
-group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
-zombie groups can't be component groups for nnvirtual groups.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
+Sort by group score.
-@node nnkiboze
-@subsection nnkiboze
-@cindex nnkiboze
-@cindex kibozing
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
+are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
-@dfn{Kibozing} is defined by OED as "grepping through (parts of) the
-news feed". nnkiboze is a backend that will do this for you. Oh joy!
-Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt with useless
-requests! Oh happiness!
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+Sort by number of unread articles.
-The address field of the nnkiboze method is, as with nnvirtual, a regexp
-to match groups to be "included" in the nnkiboze group. There most
-similarities between nnkiboze and nnvirtual ends.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-method
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
+Sort by alphabetically on the select method.
-In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an nnkiboze group
-must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
-the group (@pxref{Score Files}).
-@kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
-@findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
-You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
-nnkiboze groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
-time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
-all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
-scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
-that are to be part of the nnkiboze groups.
+@end table
-Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
-regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
-@sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
-Stranger things have happened.
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
+functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
+the last one.
-nnkiboze component groups do not have to be alive - they can be dead,
-and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
-@vindex nnkiboze-directory
-The generation of an nnkiboze group means writing two files in
-@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
-contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
-and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
-on what groups that have been searched through to find component
-articles.
+There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
+some sorting criteria:
-Articles that are marked as read in the nnkiboze group will have their
-@sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
+@table @kbd
+@item G S a
+@kindex G S a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item G S u
+@kindex G S u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item G S l
+@kindex G S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the group buffer by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item G S v
+@kindex G S v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the group buffer by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
+
+@item G S r
+@kindex G S r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the group buffer by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
+
+@item G S m
+@kindex G S m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
-@node nndir
-@subsection nndir
-@cindex nndir
-@cindex directory groups
+@end table
-If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
-it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
-names, of course.
+When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
-This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
-wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
-didn't think much about it - a backend to read directories. Big deal.
-@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
-enter @file{"/ftp@@sina.tcamc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/"} as the the
-directory name, ange-ftp will actually allow you to read this directory
-over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
+@node Group Maintenance
+@section Group Maintenance
+@cindex bogus groups
-@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@kindex b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
+Find bogus groups and delete them
+(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
-@code{nndir} is a "read-only" backend - you can't delete or expire
-articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
-whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
-methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
+@item F
+@kindex F (Group)
+@findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
+Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
+given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
+new groups.
-@node nneething
-@subsection nneething
-@cindex nneething
+@item C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
-From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
-directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
-pretends that any random directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but true.
+@item C-c M-C-x
+@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
+Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
+(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
-When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
-directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such a
-group, @code{nneething} must create "headers" that Gnus can use. After
-all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting. @code{nneething}
-does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each file in question.
-If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first few lines look like
-headers), it will use this as the head. If this is just some random file
-without a head (eg. a C source file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a
-header out of thin air. It will use file ownership, name and date and do
-whatever it can with these elements.
+@end table
-All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
-with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
-newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
-in the article buffer, just as usual.
-If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
-a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
-traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
-Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
+@node Browse Foreign Server
+@section Browse Foreign Server
+@cindex foreign servers
+@cindex browsing servers
-There are two overall modes to this action - ephemeral or solid. When
-doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
-will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
-are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
-normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
-article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
-other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
-be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
+@table @kbd
+@item B
+@kindex B (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
+then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
+(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
+@end table
-Some variables:
+@findex gnus-browse-mode
+A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
+will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit
+(well, a lot) like a normal group buffer, but with one major difference
+- you can't enter any of the groups. If you want to read any of the
+news available on that server, you have to subscribe to the groups you
+think may be interesting, and then you have to exit this buffer. The
+new groups will be added to the group buffer, and then you can read them
+as you would any other group.
-@table @code
-@item nneething-map-file-directory
-@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
-All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
-in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+Future versions of Gnus may possibly permit reading groups straight from
+the browse buffer.
-@item nneething-exclude-files
-@vindex nneething-exclude-files
-All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
-auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
+Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
-@item nneething-map-file
-@vindex nneething-map-file
-Name of the map files.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
+@item n
+@kindex n (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+@item p
+@kindex p (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
-@node nndoc
-@subsection nndoc
-@cindex nndoc
-@cindex documentation group
-@cindex help group
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-read-group
+Enter the current group and display the first article
+(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
-nndoc is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file as a
-newsgroup. Currently supported file types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}
-and @code{digest}.
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-select-group
+Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
-nndoc will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
-it - it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
-group. And that's it.
+@item u
+@kindex u (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
+Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
+subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
-Virtual server variables:
+@item l
+@itemx q
+@kindex q (Browse)
+@kindex l (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-exit
+Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
-@table @code
-@item nndoc-article-type
-@vindex nndoc-article-type
-This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl} or @code{digest}.
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
+Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
+there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
@end table
-@node Reading Mail
-@subsection Reading Mail
-@cindex reading mail
-@cindex mail
-Reading mail with a newsreader - isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
-course.
+@node Exiting Gnus
+@section Exiting Gnus
+@cindex exiting Gnus
-Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
-file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
-depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
+Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
-@menu
-* Creating Mail Groups:: How to create mail groups.
-* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
-* Mail & Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
-* Expiring Old Mail Articles:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
-* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
-* nnmbox:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
-* nnbabyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
-* nnml:: Store your mail in a private spool?
-* nnmh:: An mhspool-like backend.
-* nnfolder:: Having one file for each group.
-@end menu
-
-@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-The mail backends all call @code{nnmail-read-incoming-hook} after
-reading new mail. You can use this hook to notify any mail watch
-programs, if you want to.
-
-@vindex nnmail-spool-file
-@code{nnmail-spool-file} says where to look for new mail. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch
-mail by themselves. It is quite likely that Gnus supports POP-mail.
-Set this variable to begin with the string @samp{po:}, and everything
-should go smoothly, even though I have never tested this.
+@table @kbd
+@item z
+@kindex z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-suspend
+Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
+but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
+is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
-@vindex nnmail-use-procmail
-If @code{nnmail-use-procmail} is non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will
-look in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the
-files in that directory that have names ending in
-@code{gnus-procmail-suffix} will be considered incoming mailboxes, and
-will be searched for new mail.
+@item q
+@kindex q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-exit
+Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-@code{nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook} is run in a buffer that holds all
-the new incoming mail, and can be used for, well, anything, really.
+@item Q
+@kindex Q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quit
+Quit Gnus without saving any startup files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
+@end table
-@vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
-@code{nnmail-tmp-directory} says where to move the incoming mail to
-while processing it. This is usually done in the same directory that
-the mail backend inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is
-non-@code{nil}, it will be used instead.
+@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
+@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
+@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
+@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
+@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
+exiting Gnus.
-@vindex nnmail-movemail-program
-@code{nnmail-movemail-program} is executed to move mail from the user's
-inbox to her home directory. The default is @samp{"movemail"}.
+@findex gnus-unload
+@cindex unloading
+If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
+the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
+trying to customize meta-variables.
-@vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
-If @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} is non-@code{nil}, the mail backends
-will delete the temporary incoming file after splitting mail into the
-proper groups. This is @code{nil} by default for reasons of security.
+Note:
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
-@vindex nnmail-delete-duplicates
-@cindex duplicate mails
-If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
-receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
-@code{nnmail} checks for and discards any duplicates it might find. To
-do this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s -
-@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
-default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
-there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
-variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
-stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
-@code{nnmail-delete-duplicates} to @code{nil} (which is what it is by
-default), and @code{nnmail} won't do any duplicate checking.
+@quotation
+Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, feels her feet go
+numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
+behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
+plastic chair.
+@end quotation
-Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
-with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-delete-duplicates} set to
-@code{t}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by using a
-@code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already received.
-Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
-Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
-yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
-all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
-unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
-boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you "Have
-that report ready by Monday or you're fired!", you'll never see it and,
-come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
-you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
-month's rent money.
+@node Group Topics
+@section Group Topics
+@cindex topics
-@node Creating Mail Groups
-@subsubsection Creating Mail Groups
-@cindex creating mail groups
+If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
+them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
+here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
+you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
+even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
+groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
-You can make Gnus read your personal, private, secret mail.
+@findex gnus-topic-mode
+@kindex t (Group)
+To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
+@code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
+is a toggling command.)
-You should first set @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} to, for
-instance, @code{((nnmbox ""))}. When you start up Gnus, Gnus will ask
-this backend for what groups it carries (@samp{mail.misc} by default)
-and subscribe it the normal way. (Which means you may have to look for
-it among the zombie groups, I guess, all depending on your
-@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.)
+Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
+dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
+press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
+@samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
+bothered?
-@vindex nnmail-split-methods
-Then you should set the variable @code{nnmail-split-methods} to specify
-how the incoming mail is to be split into groups.
+If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
+the hook for the group mode:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("mail.other" "")))
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
@end lisp
-This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
-these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
-something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
-element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
-determine if it belongs in this mail group.
-
-The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
-called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
-argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
-mail belongs in that group.
-
-The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
-expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any
-mails that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps.
-
-If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
-function of your choice. This function will be called without any
-arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
-message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
-thinks should carry this mail message.
-
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost
-The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
-the mail will be "cross-posted" to all those groups.
-@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
-that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
-
-@node Fancy Mail Splitting
-@subsubsection Fancy Mail Splitting
-@cindex mail splitting
-@cindex fancy mail splitting
+@menu
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+@end menu
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
-@findex nnmail-split-fancy
-If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
-doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
-play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
-Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
+@node Topic Variables
+@subsection Topic Variables
+@cindex topic variables
-@lisp
-;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
-;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
-;; from real errors.
-(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
- "mail.misc"))
- ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
- ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
- ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
- (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
- ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
- ;; Other mailing lists...
- (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
- (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
- ;; People...
- (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen"))
- ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
- "misc.misc"))")
-@end lisp
+Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
+really neat, I think.
-This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
-recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
-the four possible split syntaxes:
+@vindex gnus-topic-line-format
+The topic lines themselves are created according to the
+@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+Legal elements are:
-@table @dfn
-@item GROUP
-If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
-@item (FIELD VALUE SPLIT)
-If the split is a list, and the first element is a string, then that
-means that if header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp),
-then store the message as specified by SPLIT.
-@item (| SPLIT...)
-If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
-bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them matches. A SPLIT is
-said to match if it will cause the mail message to be stored in one or
-more groups.
-@item (& SPLIT...)
-If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then process
-all SPLITs in the list.
+@table @samp
+@item i
+Indentation.
+@item n
+Topic name.
+@item v
+Visibility.
+@item l
+Level.
+@item g
+Number of groups in the topic.
+@item a
+Number of unread articles in the topic.
+@item A
+Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
@end table
-In these splits, FIELD must match a complete field name. VALUE must
-match a complete word according to the fundamental mode syntax table.
-You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial field names or
-words.
+@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
+Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
+@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
+The default is @code{2}.
-@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
-FIELD and VALUE can also be lisp symbols, in that case they are expanded
-as specified by the variable @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is
-an alist of cons cells, where the car of the cells contains the key, and
-the cdr contains a string.
+@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
-@node Mail & Procmail
-@subsubsection Mail & Procmail
-@cindex procmail
+@vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
+The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
+topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
-Many people use @code{procmail} to split incoming mail into groups. If
-you do that, you should set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail}
-to ensure that the mail backends never ever try to fetch mail by
-themselves.
-This also means that you probably don't want to set
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
-side effects.
+@node Topic Commands
+@subsection Topic Commands
+@cindex topic commands
-When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
-with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
-out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
-@code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
-exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
-a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
+When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
+available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
+definitions slightly.
-This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
-exist by hand.
+@table @kbd
-Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
+Prompt for a new topic name and create it
+(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
+
+@item T m
+@kindex T m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-group
+Move the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
-There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
+@item T c
+@kindex T c (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-group
+Copy the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
-@samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
-twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
-to include all your mail groups.
+@item T D
+@kindex T D (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-remove-group
+Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
+This command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
-method will be created automatically.
+@item T M
+@kindex T M (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-matching
+Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
-@vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
-@vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
-If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
-single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
-the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
-in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
-the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
-name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
+@item T C
+@kindex T C (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
+Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
-@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
-When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
-put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
-Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
-@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
+Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
-@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
-If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an nnmh
-directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
-@code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
-ever expiring the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is quite,
-quite important.
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
+Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-select-group
+@itemx SPACE
+Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
+When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
+usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
+visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
+toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
+prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+
+@item T TAB
+@kindex T TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-indent
+``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
+``un-indent'' the topic instead.
+
+@item C-k
+@kindex C-k (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-kill-group
+Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}).
+
+@item C-y
+@kindex C-y (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
+Yank the previously killed group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}).
+Note that all topics will be yanked before all groups.
+
+@item T r
+@kindex T r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-rename
+Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
+
+@item T DEL
+@kindex T DEL (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-delete
+Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
+
+@item A T
+@kindex A T (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-list-active
+List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
+(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
-@node Expiring Old Mail Articles
-@subsubsection Expiring Old Mail Articles
-@cindex article expiry
+@item G p
+@kindex G p (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
+@cindex group parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
+@cindex parameters
+Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
+@xref{Topic Parameters}.
-Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
-you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
-different approach to mail reading.
+@end table
-Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
-a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
-actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
-mail group, and mark articles as "read", or kill them in some other
-fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
-Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
-course.
-To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
-articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
-disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
-deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
-more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
-will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
-repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
-NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+@node Topic Topology
+@subsection Topic Topology
+@cindex topic topology
+@cindex topology
-@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
-You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
-match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
-have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
-articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
-column in the summary buffer.
+So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
-Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
-articles you have read to disappear after a while:
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+@end example
+
+So, here we have one top-level topic, two topics under that, and one
+sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always just one (1)
+top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as follows:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
- "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
+(("Gnus" visible)
+ (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
+ (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
+ (("Misc" visible)))
@end lisp
-Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
-@code{auto-expire} in the select method of the group.
+@vindex gnus-topic-topology
+This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
+for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
+file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
+to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
+setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
-expirable article has to live. The default is seven days.
+This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
+and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
+allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
-Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
-are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
-have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
-expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
-everywhere else:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
- (lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
- 31)
- ((string= group "mail.junk")
- 1)
- (t
- 6))))
-@end lisp
+@node Topic Parameters
+@subsection Topic Parameters
-@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
-If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
-expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
-easier for procmail users.
+All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
+ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
+parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
-articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
-parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
-articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
-caution.
+Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
+parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
+know. Normal inheretance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
+verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
-Note that at present, Gnus will not actually delete any expirable
-articles automatically. You have to enter one of the expiry functions
-(eg. `C-c M-c-x' in the group buffer) to actually run articles through
-the expiry process. Or you can add a call to the expiry function in the
-group exit hook. Gnus will probably do all this automatically in the
-future.
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ Relief
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+@end example
-@node Not Reading Mail
-@subsubsection Not Reading Mail
+Now, the @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter
+@code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic
+parameter @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc}
+topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In
+addition, @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter
+@code{(score-file . "religion.SCORE")}.
+
+Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
+will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
+group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
+score file. If you enter @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll get the
+@file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
+
+This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
+there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
+parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
+@code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
+gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
+of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
+happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
+happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
-If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
-habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
-be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
-
-If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
-will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
-
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
-happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
-file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
-variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
-the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
-group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
-All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
-narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
-incoming mail.
+@node Misc Group Stuff
+@section Misc Group Stuff
-@node nnmbox
-@subsubsection nnmbox
-@cindex nnmbox
-@cindex unix mail box
+@menu
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+@end menu
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
-mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
-which group it belongs in.
+@table @kbd
-Virtual server settings:
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
+Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}). @xref{The
+Server Buffer}.
-@table @code
-@item nnmbox-mbox-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+@item a
+@kindex a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-post-news
+Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
+group name will be used as the default.
-@item nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-The name of the active file for the mail box.
+@item m
+@kindex m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mail
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
-@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
-into groups.
@end table
-@node nnbabyl
-@subsubsection nnbabyl
-@cindex nnbabyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+Variables for the group buffer:
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
-mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
-article to say which group it belongs in.
+@table @code
-Virtual server settings:
+@item gnus-group-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
+created.
-@table @code
-@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The name of the rmail mbox file.
+@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
+generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
+unnatural way.
-@item nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
+whether they are empty or not.
-@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
@end table
-@node nnml
-@subsubsection nnml
-@cindex nnml
-@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
-
-The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
-format. It should be used with some caution.
-@vindex nnml-directory
-If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
-one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
-directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
-variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+@node Scanning New Messages
+@subsection Scanning New Messages
+@cindex new messages
+@cindex scanning new news
-You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
-care of all that.
+@table @kbd
-If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
-in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
-own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
-weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
-having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
-shouting "Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!", then you should
-know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
-to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+@item g
+@kindex g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
+Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
+this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
+command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
+backend(s).
-@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
-splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
-@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
-backend when it comes to reading mail.
+@item M-g
+@kindex M-g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
+@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
+Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}). The
+@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} variable controls whether
+this command is to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t}
+by default.
-Virtual server settings:
+@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
+@cindex activating groups
+@item C-c M-g
+@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
+Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
-@table @code
-@item nnml-directory
-@vindex nnml-directory
-All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+@item R
+@kindex R (Group)
+@cindex restarting
+@findex gnus-group-restart
+Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}).
-@item nnml-active-file
-@vindex nnml-active-file
-The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+@end table
-@item nnml-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
-The @code{nnml} group description file.
+@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
-@item nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
+@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
+news.
-@item nnml-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
-@item nnml-nov-file-name
-@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
-The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+@node Group Information
+@subsection Group Information
+@cindex group information
+@cindex information on groups
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
-If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
-you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
-nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
-entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
-might take a while to complete.
+@item M-f
+@kindex M-f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+@cindex FAQ
+@cindex ange-ftp
+Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
+@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
+remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
+that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} will be used for fetching
+the file.
-@node nnmh
-@subsubsection nnmh
-@cindex nnmh
-@cindex mh-e mail spool
+If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
+through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
-@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
-@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
-@code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
-makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
+@item D
+@kindex D (Group)
+@cindex describing groups
+@cindex group description
+@findex gnus-group-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
+a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
-Virtual server settings:
+@item M-d
+@kindex M-d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
+Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
+prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
-@table @code
-@item nnmh-directory
-@vindex nnmh-directory
-All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
+@item V
+@kindex V (Group)
+@cindex version
+@findex gnus-version
+Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
-@item nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
+Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
-@item nnmh-be-safe
-@vindex nnmh-be-safe
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
-sure that the articles in the folder is actually what Gnus think they
-are. It will check date stamps, and stat everything in sight, so
-setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
-use anything by Gnus to read the nnmh articles, you do not have to set
-this variable to @code{t}.
+@item C-c C-i
+@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
+@cindex info
+@cindex manual
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
@end table
-@node nnfolder
-@subsubsection nnfolder
-@cindex nnfolder
-@cindex mbox folders
-@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
-file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
-will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
-dates.
+@node File Commands
+@subsection File Commands
+@cindex file commands
-Virtual server settings:
+@table @kbd
-@table @code
-@item nnfolder-directory
-@vindex nnfolder-directory
-All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+@item r
+@kindex r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+@cindex reading init file
+Read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
+@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
-@item nnfolder-active-file
-@vindex nnfolder-active-file
-The name of the active file.
+@item s
+@kindex s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
+@cindex saving .newsrc
+Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
+(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
+file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
-@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group description file.
+@c @item Z
+@c @kindex Z (Group)
+@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
+@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
-@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
@end table
-@node Group Parameters
-@section Group Parameters
-@cindex group parameters
-
-Gnus stores all information on a group in a list that is usually known
-as the @dfn{group info}. This list has from three to six elements.
-Here's an example info.
-
-@lisp
-("nnml:mail.ding" 3 ((1 . 232) 244 (256 . 270)) ((tick 246 249))
- (nnml "private") ((to-address . "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
-@end lisp
-
-The first element is the @dfn{group name}, as Gnus knows the group,
-anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
-normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
-read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
-of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
-server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
-parameters}, which is what this section is about.
-
-Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
-In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
-three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
-At present, there's not much you can put in the group parameters list:
+@node The Summary Buffer
+@chapter The Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary buffer
-@table @code
-@item to-address
-@cindex to-address
-If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
-@samp{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
-the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
-mail groups that represent mailing lists. You just set this address to
-whatever the list address is.
+A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
+move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
-This trick will actually work whether the group is foreign or not.
-Let's say there's a group on the server that is called @samp{fa.4ad-l}.
-This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten the articles from a
-mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this group is therefore
-impossible - you have to send mail to the mailing list address instead.
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
+* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
+* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
+@end menu
-@item to-group
-@cindex to-group
-IF the group parameter list contains an element like @code{(to-group
-. "some.group.name")}, all posts will be sent to that groups.
-@item auto-expire
-@cindex auto-expire
-If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, all articles that
-are read will be marked as expirable. For an alternative approach,
-@xref{Expiring Old Mail Articles}.
+@node Summary Buffer Format
+@section Summary Buffer Format
+@cindex summary buffer format
-@item total-expire
-@cindex total-expire
-If this symbol is present, all read articles will be put through the
-expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
-caution.
-@end table
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+@end menu
-If you want to change the group parameters (or anything else of the
-group info) you can use the @kbd{G E} to edit enter a buffer where you
-can edit the group info.
+@findex mail-extract-address-components
+@findex gnus-extract-address-components
+@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
+Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
+variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
+@code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
+fast, and too simplistic solution; and
+@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
+slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
+cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
-You usually don't want to edit the entire group info, so you'd be better
-off using the @kbd{G p} command to just edit the group parameters.
+@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
+@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
+article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
+with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
-@node Listing Groups
-@section Listing Groups
-@cindex group listing
-These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
+@node Summary Buffer Lines
+@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
-@table @kbd
-@item l
-@itemx A s
-@kindex A s (Group)
-@kindex l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-groups
-List all groups that have unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
-command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
-only lists groups of level five or lower (i.e., just subscribed groups).
-@item L
-@itemx A u
-@kindex A u (Group)
-@kindex L (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
-List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
-(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
-this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
-it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
-unsubscribed groups).
-@item A k
-@kindex A k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-killed
-List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}).
-@item A z
-@kindex A z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
-List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
-@item A m
-@kindex A m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-matching
-List all subscribed groups with unread articles that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
-@item A M
-@kindex A M (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
-List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
+the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
+lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
+(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
-@node Group Maintenance
-@section Group Maintenance
-@cindex bogus groups
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
-@table @kbd
-@item b
-@kindex b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
-Find bogus groups and delete them
-(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
+The following format specification characters are understood:
+
+@table @samp
+@item N
+Article number.
+@item S
+Subject string.
+@item s
+Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
+different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
+(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
@item F
-@kindex F (Group)
-@findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
-Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}).
-@item C-c C-x
-@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
-Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
-process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
-@item C-c M-C-x
-@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
-Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
-(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
-@item C-c C-s
-@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
-@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
-Sort the groups according to the function given by the
-@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}). Available sorting functions include
-@code{gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet} (the default),
-@code{gnus-group-sort-by-unread} and @code{gnus-group-sort-by-level}.
+Full @code{From} header.
+@item n
+The name (from the @code{From} header).
+@item a
+The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
+spec in that it uses @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is
+slower, but may be more thorough.
+@item A
+The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
+the @code{a} spec.
+@item L
+Number of lines in the article.
+@item c
+Number of characters in the article.
+@item I
+Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item T
+Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
+pushes everything after it off the screen).
+@item \[
+Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{\[}, but can also be @samp{<}
+for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item \]
+Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{\]}, but can also be @samp{>}
+for adopted articles.
+@item >
+One space for each thread level.
+@item <
+Twenty minus thread level spaces.
+@item U
+Unread.
+@item R
+Replied.
+@item i
+Score as a number.
+@item z
+@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
+Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
+default level. If the difference between
+@code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
+@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
+@item V
+Total thread score.
+@item x
+@code{Xref}.
+@item D
+@code{Date}.
+@item d
+The @code{Date} in @code{YY-MMM} format.
+@item o
+The @code{Date} in @code{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS} format.
+@item M
+@code{Message-ID}.
+@item r
+@code{References}.
+@item t
+Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
+down summary buffer generation somewhat.
+@item e
+A single character will be displayed if the article has any children.
+@item P
+The line number.
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
+argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
+into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
@end table
-@node Browse Foreign Server
-@section Browse Foreign Server
-@cindex foreign servers
-@cindex browsing servers
+The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
+have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
+compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
+that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
+variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
+buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
-@table @kbd
-@item B
-@kindex B (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
-You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
-then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
-(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
-@end table
+The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
+(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
-@findex gnus-browse-server-mode
-A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
-will be use the @code{gnus-browse-server-mode}. This buffer looks a bit
-(well, a lot) like a normal group buffer, but with one major difference
-- you can't enter any of the groups. If you want to read any of the
-news available on that server, you have to subscribe to the groups you
-think may be interesting, and then you have to exit this buffer. The
-new groups will be added to the group buffer, and then you can read them
-as you would any other group.
+This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
-Future versions of Gnus may possibly permit reading groups straight from
-the browse buffer.
-Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
+@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@table @kbd
-@item n
-@kindex n (Browse)
-@findex gnus-group-next-group
-Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
+You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. Here are the
+elements you can play with:
+@table @samp
+@item G
+Group name.
@item p
-@kindex p (Browse)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-group
-Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
-
-@item SPC
-@kindex SPC (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-read-group
-Enter the current group and display the first article
-(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
-
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-select-group
-Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
-
-@item u
-@kindex u (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
-Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
-subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
-
-@item l
-@itemx q
-@kindex q (Browse)
-@kindex l (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-exit
-Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
-
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
-Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
-there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
+Unprefixed group name.
+@item A
+Current article number.
+@item V
+Gnus version.
+@item U
+Number of unread articles in this group.
+@item e
+Number of unselected articles in this group.
+@item Z
+A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
+either as @samp{<%U(+%u) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
+articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
+and no unselected ones.
+@item g
+Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
+shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
+@item S
+Subject of the current article.
+@item u
+Used-defined spec.
+@item s
+Name of the current score file.
+@item d
+Number of dormant articles.
+@item t
+Number of ticked articles.
+@item r
+Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
+@item E
+Number of articles expunged by the score files.
@end table
-@node Exiting Gnus
-@section Exiting Gnus
-@cindex exiting Gnus
-Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
+@node Summary Highlighting
+@subsection Summary Highlighting
-@table @kbd
-@item z
-@kindex z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-suspend
-Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
-but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
-is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
-@item q
-@kindex q (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-exit
-Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
-@item Q
-@kindex Q (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-quit
-Quit Gnus without saving any startup files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
-@end table
+@table @code
-@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
-@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
-@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
-@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus.
+@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
+highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-@findex gnus-unload
-@cindex unloading
-If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
-the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
-trying to custoize meta-variables.
+@item gnus-summary-update-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
+This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-Note:
+@item gnus-summary-selected-face
+@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
+This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
+highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
-@quotation
-Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, feels her feet go
-numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
-behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
-plastic chair.
-@end quotation
+@item gnus-summary-highlight
+@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
+Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
+list where the elements are on the format @code{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
+would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
+articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
+@lisp
+(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
+ ((> score default) . bold))
+@end lisp
+As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
+@var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
+@end table
-@node Misc Group Stuff
-@section Misc Group Stuff
+
+@node Summary Maneuvering
+@section Summary Maneuvering
+@cindex summary movement
+
+All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
+behave pretty much as you'd expect.
+
+None of these commands select articles.
@table @kbd
-@item g
-@kindex g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
-Check server for new articles. If the numeric prefix is used, this
-command will check only groups of level ARG and lower
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}).
-@item M-g
-@kindex M-g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
-Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
+@item G M-n
+@itemx M-n
+@kindex M-n (Summary)
+@kindex G M-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
+Go to the next summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
-Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}). @xref{The
-Server Buffer}.
+@item G M-p
+@itemx M-p
+@kindex M-p (Summary)
+@kindex G M-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
+Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
-@item M-f
-@kindex M-f (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
-Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
-@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
-remote machine. ange-ftp will be used for fetching the file.
-@item R
-@kindex R (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-restart
-Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}).
-@item r
-@kindex r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
-@vindex gnus-init-file
-Read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
-@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
-@item s
-@kindex s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
-Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
-(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}).
-@item Z
-@kindex Z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
-Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
-@item D
-@kindex D (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-group
-Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
-a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
-@item G a
-@kindex G a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-apropos
-List all groups that have names that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
-@item G d
-@kindex G d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
-List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
-@item a
-@kindex a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-post-news
-Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}).
-@item m
-@kindex m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mail
-Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
-@item C-x C-t
-@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
-Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}).
-@item V
-@kindex V (Group)
-@findex gnus-version
-Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
-@item M-d
-@kindex M-d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
-Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
-prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
-Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
-@item C-c C-i
-@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@item G j
+@itemx j
+@kindex j (Summary)
+@kindex G j (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
+Ask for an article number and then go that article
+(@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
+
+@item G g
+@kindex G g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
+Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
+(@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
@end table
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
-generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
-unnatural way.
+If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
+can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
+buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
+to the group buffer.
-@node The Summary Buffer
-@chapter The Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary buffer
+Variables related to summary movement:
-A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
-move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
+@table @code
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
-* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
-* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
-* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
-* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
-* Canceling and Superseding:: "Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that."
-* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
-* Threading:: How threads are made.
-* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
-* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
-* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
-* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
-* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
-* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
-* Various Article Stuff:: Various stuff dealing with articles.
-* Summary Sorting:: You can sort the summary buffer four ways.
-* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
-* Score Files:: Maintaining a score file.
-* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
-* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
+@item gnus-auto-select-next
+If you are at the end of the group and issue one of the movement
+commands, Gnus will offer to go to the next group. If this variable is
+@code{t} and the next group is empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and
+return to the group buffer. If this variable is neither @code{t} nor
+@code{nil}, Gnus will select the next group, no matter whether it has
+any unread articles or not. As a special case, if this variable is
+@code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
+confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same will
+happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
+Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
+command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
+@pxref{Group Levels}.
+
+@item gnus-auto-select-same
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
+If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
+article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
+mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
+for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
+particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
-@node Summary Buffer Format
-@section Summary Buffer Format
-@cindex summary buffer format
+@item gnus-summary-check-current
+@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
+If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
+to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
+Instead, they will choose the current article.
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
-* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
-@end menu
+@item gnus-auto-center-summary
+@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
+centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
+slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
+set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
+action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
+buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
+threads.
-@findex mail-extract-address-components
-@findex gnus-extract-address-components
-@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
-Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
-variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
-@code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
-fast, and too simplistic solution, and
-@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
-slower.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
-@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
-article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
-with those specs that require it.
-
-@node Summary Buffer Lines
-@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
-You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
-the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
-lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions.
-
-The default string is @samp{"%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n"}.
-
-The following format specification characters are understood:
-
-@table @samp
-@item N
-Article number.
-@item S
-Subject string.
-@item s
-Subject if the article is the root, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject}
-otherwise.
-@item F
-Full @code{From} line.
-@item n
-The name (from the @code{From} header).
-@item a
-The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
-spec in that it uses @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is
-slower, but may be more thorough.
-@item A
-The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
-the @code{a} spec.
-@item L
-Number of lines in the article.
-@item c
-Number of characters in the article.
-@item I
-Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item T
-Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
-pushes everything after it off the screen).
-@item \[
-Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{\[}, but can also be @samp{<}
-for adopted articles.
-@item \]
-Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{\]}, but can also be @samp{>}
-for adopted articles.
-@item <
-One space for each thread level.
-@item >
-Twenty minus thread level spaces.
-@item U
-Unread.
-@item R
-Replied.
-@item i
-Score as a number.
-@item z
-@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
-Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
-default level. If the difference between
-@code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
-@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
-@item x
-@code{Xref}.
-@item D
-@code{Date}.
-@item M
-@code{Message-Id}.
-@item r
-@code{References}.
-@item t
-Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
-down summary buffer generation somewhat.
-@item e
-A single character will be displayed if the article has any children.
-@item u
-User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
-be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
-following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
-argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
-into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
-@end table
-
-Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
-@code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
-There can only be one such area.
-
-The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
-have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
-compute what column these characters will end up in, and "hard-code"
-that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
-variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
-buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
-
-The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
-(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
-
-This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
-
-@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
-You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. Here are the
-elements you can play with:
-
-@table @samp
-@item G
-Group name.
-@item A
-Current article number.
-@item V
-Gnus version.
-@item U
-Number of unread articles in this group.
-@item e
-Number of unselected articles in this group.
-@item Z
-A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
-either as @samp{<%U(+%u) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
-articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
-and no unselected ones.
-@item g
-Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
-shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
-@item S
-Subject of the current article.
-@item u
-Used-defined spec.
-@item s
-Name of the current score file.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Summary Maneuvering
-@section Summary Maneuvering
-@cindex summary movement
-
-All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
-behave pretty much as you'd expect.
-
-None of these commands select articles.
-
-@table @kbd
-@item G M-n
-@itemx M-n
-@kindex M-n (Summary)
-@kindex G M-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
-Go to the next summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
-@item G M-p
-@itemx M-p
-@kindex M-p (Summary)
-@kindex G M-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
-Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
-@item G g
-@itemx j
-@kindex j (Summary)
-@kindex G g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
-Ask for an article number and then go to this summary line
-(@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
-@end table
-
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
-If you are at the end of the group and issue one of the movement
-commands, Gnus will offer to go to the next group. If
-@code{gnus-auto-select-next} is @code{t} and the next group is empty,
-Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If this
-variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the next
-group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
-special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
-next group without asking for confirmation. Also @xref{Group Levels}.
-
-If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
-can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
-buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
-to the group buffer.
-
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
-If @code{gnus-auto-select-same} is non-@code{nil}, all the movement
-commands will try to go to the next article with the same subject as the
-current. This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded
-display.
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
-If @code{gnus-summary-check-current} is non-@code{nil}, all the "unread"
-movement commands will not proceed to the next (or previous) article if
-the current article is unread. Instead, they will choose the current
-article.
-
-@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
-If @code{gnus-auto-center-summary} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the
-point in the summary buffer centered at all times. This makes things
-quite tidy, but if you have a slow network connection, or simply do not
-like this un-Emacsism, you can set this variable to @code{nil} to get
-the normal Emacs scrolling action.
@node Choosing Articles
@section Choosing Articles
@findex gnus-summary-next-page
Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+
@item G n
@itemx n
@kindex n (Summary)
@kindex G n (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
+
@item G p
@itemx p
@kindex p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
+
@item G N
@itemx N
@kindex N (Summary)
@kindex G N (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-next-article
Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
+
@item G P
@itemx P
@kindex P (Summary)
@kindex G P (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
+
@item G C-n
@kindex G C-n (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
Go to the next article with the same subject
(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+
@item G C-p
@kindex G C-p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
Go to the previous article with the same subject
(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+
@item G f
@itemx .
@kindex G f (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
Go to the first unread article
(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
+
@item G b
@itemx ,
@kindex G b (Summary)
@kindex , (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
Go to the article with the highest score
(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
+
@item G l
@itemx l
@kindex l (Summary)
@kindex G l (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
+
@item G p
@kindex G p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
the server and display it in the article buffer.
+
@item gnus-select-article-hook
@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
+
@item gnus-mark-article-hook
@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-unread-mark
This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
-be used for marking articles as read.
-@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
-highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-@item gnus-summary-update-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
-This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-@item gnus-summary-selected-face
-@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
-This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
-highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
-@item gnus-summary-highlight
-@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
-Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
-list where the elements are on the format @code{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
-would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
-articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
-@lisp
-(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
- ((> score default) . bold))
-@end lisp
-As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
-@var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
+be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
+mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
+only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
+expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
+marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
+instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
+@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
+
@end table
+
@node Paging the Article
@section Scrolling the Article
@cindex article scrolling
@table @kbd
+
@item SPACE
@kindex SPACE (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-next-page
Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+
@item DEL
@kindex DEL (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
+
@item RET
@kindex RET (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
Scroll the current article one line forward
(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
+
+@item A g
+@itemx g
+@kindex A g (Summary)
+@kindex g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-article
+(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
+given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
+article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
+the way it came from the server.
+
@item A <
@itemx <
@kindex < (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
Scroll to the beginning of the article
(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
+
@item A >
@itemx >
@kindex > (Summary)
@kindex A > (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
+
+@item A s
+@kindex A s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
+Perform an isearch in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
+
@end table
+
@node Reply Followup and Post
@section Reply, Followup and Post
-@cindex reply
-@cindex followup
-@cindex post
-
-@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
-All the commands for posting and mailing will put you in a post or mail
-buffer where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
-article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. If you are in a foreign news group,
-and you wish to post the article using the foreign server, you can give
-a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c} to make Gnus try to post using the foreign
-server.
-@menu
-* Mail:: Mailing & replying.
-* Post:: Posting and following up.
-* Mail & Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+@menu
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
@end menu
-@node Mail
-@subsection Mail
+
+@node Summary Mail Commands
+@subsection Summary Mail Commands
+@cindex mail
+@cindex composing mail
Commands for composing a mail message:
@table @kbd
+
@item S r
@itemx r
@kindex S r (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-reply
Mail a reply to the author of the current article
(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
+
@item S R
@itemx R
@kindex R (Summary)
Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
command uses the process/prefix convention.
+
@item S o m
@kindex S o m (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
Forward the current article to some other person
(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}).
+
@item S o p
@kindex S o p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
Forward the current article to a newsgroup
(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
+
@item S m
@itemx m
@kindex m (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
Send a mail to some other person
(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
+
+@item S D b
+@kindex S D b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
+@cindex bouncing mail
+If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
+reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
+resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
+will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
+sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
+the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
+that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
+very well fail, though.
+
+@item S D r
+@kindex S D r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
+Not to be confused with the previous command,
+@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
+send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
+headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
+@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
+means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
+header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
+So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
+
+This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
+ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
+@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
+to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
+
@item S O m
@kindex S O m (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
@item S O p
@kindex S O p (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}).
-@end table
-
-Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
-
-@table @code
-@item gnus-reply-to-function
-@vindex gnus-reply-to-function
-Gnus uses the normal methods to determine where replies are to go, but
-you can change the behavior to suit your needs by fiddling with this
-variable.
-If you want the replies to go to the @samp{Sender} instead of the
-@samp{From} in the group @samp{mail.stupid-list}, you could do something
-like this:
+@item S M-c
+@kindex S M-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
+@cindex crossposting
+@cindex excessive crossposting
+Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
+current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
+
+@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
+This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
+crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
+using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-reply-to-function
- (lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.stupid-list")
- (mail-fetch-field "sender"))
- (t
- nil))))
-@end lisp
-
-This function will be called narrowed to the head of the article that is
-being replied to.
+@end table
-As you can see, this function should return a string if it has an
-opinion as to what the To header should be. If it does not, it should
-just return @code{nil}, and the normal methods for determining the To
-header will be used.
-This function can also return a list. In that case, each list element
-should be a cons, where the car should be the name of an header
-(eg. @samp{Cc}) and the cdr should be the header value
-(eg. @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no}). All these headers will be inserted into
-the head of the outgoing mail.
+@node Summary Post Commands
+@subsection Summary Post Commands
+@cindex post
+@cindex composing news
-@item gnus-mail-send-method
-@vindex gnus-mail-send-method
-This variable says how a mail should be mailed. It uses the function in
-the @code{send-mail-function} variable as the default.
-
-@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
-@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
-List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
-headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
-
-@item gnus-mail-hook
-Hook called as the last thing after setting up a mail buffer.
-
-@end table
-
-There are three "methods" for handling all mail. The default is
-@code{sendmail}. Some people like what @code{mh} does better, and some
-people prefer @code{vm}.
-
-Three variables for customizing what to use when:
-
-@table @code
-
-@vindex gnus-mail-reply-method
-@item gnus-mail-reply-method
-This function is used to compose replies. The three functions avaibale
-are:
-
-@findex gnus-mail-reply-using-vm
-@findex gnus-mail-reply-using-mhe
-@findex gnus-mail-reply-using-mail
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-reply-using-mail} (sendmail)
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-reply-using-mhe} (mh)
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-reply-using-vm} (vm)
-@end itemize
-
-@vindex gnus-mail-forward-method
-@item gnus-mail-forward-method
-This function is used to forward messages. The three functions avaibale
-are:
-
-@findex gnus-mail-forward-using-vm
-@findex gnus-mail-forward-using-mhe
-@findex gnus-mail-forward-using-mail
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-forward-using-mail} (sendmail)
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-forward-using-mhe} (mh)
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-forward-using-vm} (vm)
-@end itemize
-
-@vindex gnus-mail-other-window-method
-@item gnus-mail-other-window-method
-This function is used to send mails. The three functions avaibale are:
-
-@findex gnus-mail-other-window-using-vm
-@findex gnus-mail-other-window-using-mhe
-@findex gnus-mail-other-window-using-mail
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-other-window-using-mail} (sendmail)
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-other-window-using-mhe} (mh)
-@item
-@code{gnus-mail-other-window-using-vm} (vm)
-@end itemize
-
-@end table
-
-
-@node Post
-@subsection Post
-
-Commands for posting an article:
+Commands for posting an article:
@table @kbd
@item S p
@findex gnus-summary-post-news
Post an article to the current group
(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
+
@item S f
@itemx f
@kindex f (Summary)
@kindex S f (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-followup
Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
+
@item S F
@itemx F
@kindex S F (Summary)
Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
process/prefix convention.
+
@item S u
@kindex S u (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-post-news
Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
-(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}).
-@c (@pxref{Uuencoding & Posting}).
-@end table
-
-@vindex gnus-required-headers
-@code{gnus-required-headers} a list of header symbols. These headers
-will either be automatically generated, or, if that's impossible, they
-will be prompted for. The following symbols are legal:
-
-@table @code
-@item From
-This required header will be filled out with the result of the
-@code{gnus-inews-user-name} function, which depends on the
-@code{gnus-user-from-line}, @code{gnus-user-login-name},
-@code{gnus-local-domain} and @code{user-mail-address} variables.
-@item Subject
-This required header will be prompted for if not present already.
-@item Newsgroups
-This required header says which newsgroups the article is to be posted
-to. If it isn't present already, it will be prompted for.
-@item Organization
-@cindex organization
-@vindex gnus-local-organization
-@vindex gnus-organization-file
-This optional header will be filled out depending on the
-@code{gnus-local-organization} variable. @code{gnus-organization-file}
-will be used if that variable is nil.
-@item Lines
-This optional header will be computed by Gnus.
-@item Message-ID
-This required header will be generated by Gnus. A unique ID will be
-created based on date, time, user name and system name.
-@item X-Newsreader
-This optional header will be filled out with the Gnus version numbers.
-@end table
-
-In addition, you can enter conses into this list. The car of this cons
-should be a symbol who's name is the name of the header, and the cdr can
-either a string to be entered verbatim as the value of this header, or
-it can be a function to be called. This function should return a string
-to be inserted. For instance, if you want to insert @samp{Mime-Version:
-1.0}, you should enter @code{(Mime-Version . "1.0")} into the list. If
-you want to insert a funny quote, you could enter something like
-@code{(X-Yow . yow)} into the list. The function @code{yow} will then
-be called without any arguments.
-
-Other variables for customizing outgoing articles:
-
-@table @code
-@item gnus-post-method
-@vindex gnus-post-method
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will use this method instead of the default
-select method when posting.
-
-@item nntp-news-default-headers
-@vindex nntp-news-default-headers
-If non-@code{nil}, this variable will override
-@code{mail-default-headers} when posting. This variable should then be
-a string. This string will be inserted, as is, in the head of all
-outgoing articles.
-
-@item gnus-use-followup-to
-@vindex gnus-use-followup-to
-If @code{nil}, always ignore the Followup-To header. If it is @code{t},
-use its value, but ignore the special value @samp{poster}, which will
-send the followup as a reply mail to the person you are responding to.
-If it is the symbol @code{ask}, query the user before posting.
-If it is the symbol @code{use}, always use the value.
-
-@item gnus-followup-to-function
-@vindex gnus-followup-to-function
-This variable is most useful in mail groups, where "following up" really
-means sending a mail to a list address. Gnus uses the normal methods to
-determine where follow-ups are to go, but you can change the behavior
-to suit your needs by fiddling with this variable.
-
-If you want the followups to go to the @samp{Sender} instead of the
-@samp{From} in the group @samp{mail.stupid-list}, you could do something
-like this:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-followup-to-function
- (lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.stupid-list")
- (mail-fetch-field "sender"))
- (t
- nil))))
-@end lisp
-
-This function will be called narrowed to header of the article that is
-being followed up.
-
-@item gnus-removable-headers
-@vindex gnus-removable-headers
-Some headers that are generated are toxic to the @sc{nntp} server.
-These include the @code{NNTP-Posting-Host}, @code{Bcc} and @code{Xref},
-so these headers are deleted if they are present in this list of
-symbols.
-
-@item gnus-deletable-headers
-@vindex gnus-deletable-headers
-Headers in this list that were previously generated by Gnus will be
-deleted before posting. Let's say you post an article. Then you decide
-to post it again to some other group, you naughty boy, so you jump back
-to the @code{*post-buf*} buffer, edit the @code{Newsgroups} line, and
-ship it off again. By default, this variable makes sure that the old
-generated @code{Message-ID} is deleted, and a new one generated. If
-this isn't done, the entire empire would probably crumble, anarchy would
-prevail, and cats would start walking on two legs and rule the world.
-Allegedly.
-
-@item gnus-signature-function
-@vindex gnus-signature-function
-If non-@code{nil}, this variable should be a function that returns a
-signature file name. The function will be called with the name of the
-group being posted to. If the function returns a string that doesn't
-correspond to a file, the string itself is inserted. If the function
-returns @code{nil}, the @code{gnus-signature-file} variable will be used
-instead.
-
-@item gnus-post-prepare-function
-@vindex gnus-post-prepare-function
-This function is called with the name of the current group after the
-post buffer has been initialized, and can be used for inserting a
-signature. Nice if you use different signatures in different groups.
-
-@item gnus-post-prepapare-hook
-@vindex gnus-post-prepapare-hook
-This hook is called after a post buffer has been prepared. If you want
-to insert a signature at this point, you could put
-@code{gnus-inews-insert-signature} into this hook.
-
-@item news-reply-header-hook
-@vindex news-reply-header-hook
-A related variable when following up and replying is this variable,
-which inserts the @dfn{quote line}. The default value is:
-
-@lisp
-(defvar news-reply-header-hook
- (lambda ()
- (insert "In article " news-reply-yank-message-id
- " " news-reply-yank-from " writes:\n\n")))
-@end lisp
-
-This will create lines like:
-
-@example
-In article <zngay8jrql@@eyesore.no> Lars Mars <lars@@eyesore.no> writes:
-@end example
-
-Having the @code{Message-Id} in this line is probably overkill, so I
-would suggest this hook instead:
-
-@lisp
-(setq news-reply-header-hook
- (lambda () (insert news-reply-yank-from " writes:\n\n")))
-@end lisp
-
-@item gnus-prepare-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-prepare-article-hook
-This hook is called before the headers have been prepared. By default
-it inserts the signature specified by @code{gnus-signature-file}.
-
-@item gnus-inews-article-function
-@vindex gnus-inews-article-function
-This function is used to do the actual article processing and header
-checking/generation.
-
-@item gnus-inews-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-inews-article-hook
-This hook is called right before the article is posted. By default it
-handles FCC processing (i.e., saving the article to a file.)
-
-@item gnus-inews-article-header-hook
-@vindex gnus-inews-article-header-hook
-This hook is called after inserting the required headers in an article
-to be posted. The hook is called from the @code{*post-news*} buffer,
-narrowed to the head, and is intended for people who would like to
-insert additional headers, or just change headers in some way or other.
-
-@item gnus-check-before-posting
-@vindex gnus-check-before-posting
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to check the legality of the
-headers, as well as some other stuff, before posting. You can control
-the granularity of the check by adding or removing elements from this
-list. Legal elemetents are:
-
-@table @code
-@item subject-cmsg
-Check the subject for commands.
-@item multiple-headers
-Check for the existence of multiple equal headers.
-@item sendsys
-Check for the existence of version and sendsys commands.
-@item message-id
-Check whether the @code{Message-ID} looks ok.
-@item from
-Check whether the @code{From} header seems nice.
-@item long-lines
-Check for too long lines.
-@item control-chars
-Check for illegal characters.
-@item size
-Check for excessive size.
-@item new-text
-Check whether there is any new text in the messages.
-@item signature
-Check the length of the signature
-@end table
-
-@end table
-
-
-@node Mail & Post
-@subsection Mail & Post
-
-Commands for sending mail and post at the same time:
-
-@table @kbd
-@item S b
-@kindex S b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-and-reply
-Post a followup and send a reply to the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-and-reply}).
-@item S B
-@kindex S B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-and-reply-with-original
-Post a followup and send a reply to the current article and include the
-original message (@code{gnus-summary-followup-and-reply-with-original}).
-This command uses the process/prefix convention.
-@end table
-
-Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
-posting:
-
-@table @code
-@item gnus-signature-file
-@itemx mail-signature
-@vindex mail-signature
-@vindex gnus-signature-file
-@cindex double signature
-@cindex signature
-If @code{gnus-signature-file} is non-@code{nil}, it should be the name
-of a file containing a signature (@samp{~/.signature} by default). This
-signature will be appended to all outgoing post. Most people find it
-more convenient to use @code{mail-signature}, which (sort of) does the
-same, but inserts the signature into the buffer before you start editing
-the post (or mail). So - if you have both of these variables set, you
-will get two signatures. Note that @code{mail-signature} does not work
-the same way as @code{gnus-signature-file}, which is a bit confusing.
-If @code{mail-signature} is @code{t}, it will insert
-@file{~/.signature}. If it is a string, this string will be inserted.
-
-Note that RFC1036 says that a signature should be preceded by the three
-characters @samp{-- } on a line by themselves. This is to make it
-easier for the recipient to automatically recognize and process the
-signature. So don't remove those characters, even though you might feel
-that they ruin you beautiful design, like, totally.
-
-Also note that no signature should be more than four lines long.
-Including ASCII graphics is an efficient way to get everybody to believe
-that you are silly and have nothing important to say.
-
-@item mail-yank-prefix
-@vindex mail-yank-prefix
-@cindex yanking
-@cindex quoting
-When you are replying to or following up an article, you normally want
-to quote the person you are answering. Inserting quoted text is done by
-@dfn{yanking}, and each quoted line you yank will have
-@code{mail-yank-prefix} prepended to it. This is @samp{ } by default,
-which isn't very pretty. Most everybody prefers that lines are
-prepended with @samp{> }, so @code{(setq mail-yank-prefix "> ")} in your
-@file{.emacs} file.
-
-@item mail-yank-ignored-headers
-@vindex mail-yank-ignored-headers
-When you yank a message, you do not want to quote any headers, so
-@code{(setq mail-yank-ignored-headers ":")}.
-
-@item user-mail-address
-@vindex user-mail-address
-If all of @code{gnus-user-login-name}, @code{gnus-use-generic-from} and
-@code{gnus-local-domain} are @code{nil}, Gnus will use
-@code{user-mail-address} as the address part of the @code{From} header.
-
-@item gnus-user-from-line
-@vindex gnus-user-from-line
-Your full, complete e-mail address. This variable overrides the other
-Gnus variables if it is non-@code{nil}.
-
-Here are two example values of this variable: @samp{"larsi@@ifi.uio.no
-(Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen)"} and @samp{"Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
-<larsi@@ifi.uio.no>"}. The latter version is recommended, but the name
-has to be quoted if it contains non-alpha-numerical characters -
-@samp{"\"Lars M. Ingebrigtsen\" <larsi@@ifi.uio.no>"}.
-
-@item mail-default-headers
-@vindex mail-default-headers
-This is a string that will be inserted into the header of all outgoing
-mail messages and news articles. Convenient to use to insert standard
-headers. If @code{nntp-news-default-headers} is non-@code{nil}, that
-variable will override this one when posting articles.
-
-@item gnus-auto-mail-to-author
-@vindex gnus-auto-mail-to-author
-If @code{ask}, you will be prompted for whether you want to send a mail
-copy to the author of the article you are following up. If
-non-@code{nil} and not @code{ask}, Gnus will send a mail with a copy of
-all follow-ups to the authors of the articles you follow up. It's nice
-in one way - you make sure that the person you are responding to gets
-your response. Other people loathe this method and will hate you dearly
-for it, because it means that they will first get a mail, and then have
-to read the same article later when they read the news. It is
-@code{nil} by default.
-
-@item gnus-mail-courtesy-message
-@vindex gnus-mail-courtesy-message
-This is a string that will be prepended to all mails that are the result
-of using the variable described above.
-
+(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
@end table
-You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
-you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
-spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
-
-@vindex news-inews-hook
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'news-inews-hook 'ispell-message) ;For news posts
-(add-hook 'mail-send-hook 'ispell-message) ;for mail posts via sendmail
-@end lisp
-
-@findex gnus-inews-insert-mime-headers
-If you want to insert some @sc{mime} headers into the articles you post,
-without doing any actual encoding, you could add
-@code{gnus-inews-insert-mime-headers} to @code{gnus-inews-article-hook}.
-
@node Canceling and Superseding
@section Canceling Articles
Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
-canceled - machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
+canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
usual way.
-@vindex gnus-delete-supersedes-headers
-You probably want to delete some of the old headers before sending the
-superseding article - @code{Path} and @code{Date} are probably
-incorrect. Set @code{gnus-delete-supersedes-headers} to a regexp to
-match the lines you want removed. The default is
-@samp{"^Path:\\|^Date"}.
-
The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
have posted almost the same article twice.
waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
to the post buffer (which is called @code{*post-buf*}). There you will
find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
-the @samp{Message-ID} header to a @samp{Cancel} or @samp{Supersedes}
-header by substituting one of those words for @samp{Message-ID}. Then
+the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
+header by substituting one of those words for @code{Message-ID}. Then
just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as you would do normally.
The previous article will be canceled/superseded.
Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+
@node Marking Articles
@section Marking Articles
@cindex article marking
There are several marks you can set on an article.
-You have marks that decide the @dfn{readed-ness} (whoo, neato-keano
+You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
@end menu
+
@node Unread Articles
@subsection Unread Articles
tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
article forever, you'll have to save it. Ticked articles have a
@samp{!} (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}) in the first column.
+
@item ?
+@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
A @dfn{dormant} article is marked with a @samp{?}
(@code{gnus-dormant-mark}), and will only appear in the summary buffer
if there are followups to it.
-@item SPC
-An @dfn{unread} article is marked with a @samp{SPC}
+
+@item SPACE
+@vindex gnus-unread-mark
+An @dfn{unread} article is marked with a @samp{SPACE}
(@code{gnus-unread-mark}). These are articles that haven't been read at
all yet.
@end table
+
@node Read Articles
@subsection Read Articles
@cindex expirable mark
All the following marks mark articles as read.
@table @samp
-@item D
+
+@item r
+@vindex gnus-del-mark
Articles that are marked as read. They have a @samp{r}
(@code{gnus-del-mark}) in the first column. These are articles that the
user has marked as read more or less manually.
-@item d
+
+@item R
+@vindex gnus-read-mark
Articles that are actually read are marked with @samp{R}
(@code{gnus-read-mark}).
-@item A
+
+@item O
+@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions are now
@dfn{old} and marked with @samp{O} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
+
@item K
+@vindex gnus-killed-mark
Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
+
@item X
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
+
@item Y
+@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
Marked as read by having a too low score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
+
@item C
+@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
+
@item G
-Canceled article (@code{gnus-cancelled-mark})
+@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
+Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
+
+@item F
+@vindex gnus-souped-mark
+@sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}
+
+@item Q
+@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
+Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
+Threading}
+
+@item M
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
+Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
+(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}
+
@end table
All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
@table @samp
@item E
+@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
You can also mark articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as
such automatically). That doesn't make much sense in normal groups,
because a user does not control the expiring of news articles, but in
@samp{E} (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
@end table
+
@node Other Marks
@subsection Other Marks
@cindex process mark
There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
read or not.
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
-long thesis on cat's urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
+long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
encounters the article.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-replied-mark
All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+@item
+@vindex gnus-cached-mark
+Articles that are stored in the article cache will be marked with an
+@samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-saved-mark
+Articles that are ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
+religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-saved-mark}.
+
+@item
@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
It the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
-@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark}, respectively.
+@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
+@item
@vindex gnus-process-mark
Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}. A
variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
+@end itemize
+
+You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
+appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
+replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
+
+Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
+replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
+you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
+
+
@node Setting Marks
@subsection Setting Marks
@cindex setting marks
@kindex M t (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
+
@item M ?
@itemx ?
@kindex ? (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
Mark the current article as dormant
(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
+
@item M d
@itemx d
@kindex M d (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
Mark the current article as read
(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
+
+@item D
+@kindex D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
+Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
+
@item M k
@itemx k
@kindex k (Summary)
Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
and then select the next unread article
(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
+
@item M K
@itemx C-k
@kindex M K (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
+
@item M C
@kindex M C (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-catchup
-Catchup the current group (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
+Mark all unread articles in the group as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
+
@item M C-c
@kindex M C-c (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
-Catchup all articles in the current group (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
+Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
+articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
+
@item M H
@kindex M H (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
Catchup the current group to point
(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
+
@item C-w
@kindex C-w (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
Mark all articles between point and mark as read
(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
+
+@item M V k
+@kindex M V k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
+Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
+
@item M c
@itemx M-u
@kindex M c (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
+
@item M e
@itemx E
@kindex M e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
Mark the current article as expirable
(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
+
@item M b
@kindex M b (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
Set a bookmark in the current article
(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
+
@item M B
@kindex M B (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
Remove the bookmark from the current article
(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
-@item M M-r
-@itemx x
-@kindex M M-r (Summary)
-@kindex M-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-remove-lines-marked-as-read
-Expunge all deleted articles from the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-remove-lines-marked-as-read}).
-@item M M-C-r
-@kindex M M-C-r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-remove-lines-marked-with
-Ask for a mark and then expunge all articles that have been marked with
-that mark (@code{gnus-summary-remove-lines-marked-with}).
-@item M S
-@kindex M S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-all-expunged
-Display all expunged articles (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-expunged}).
-@item M D
-@kindex M D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-all-dormant
-Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-dormant}).
-@item M M-D
-@kindex M M-D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-dormant
-Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-dormant}).
-@item M V k
-@kindex M V k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
-Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
+
@item M V c
@kindex M V c (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+
@item M V u
@kindex M V u (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
+
@item M V m
@kindex M V m (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
@end table
-@code{gnus-summary-goto-unread}
-The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
-be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
-the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
-one line up or down.
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
+be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
+the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
+one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
+@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
+@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
+The default is @code{t}.
+
+
+@node Setting Process Marks
+@subsection Setting Process Marks
+@cindex setting process marks
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M P p
+@itemx #
+@kindex # (Summary)
+@kindex M P p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
+Mark the current article with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+
+@item M P u
+@itemx M-#
+@kindex M P u (Summary)
+@kindex M-# (Summary)
+Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+
+@item M P U
+@kindex M P U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
+Remove the process mark from all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
+
+@item M P R
+@kindex M P R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
+Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
+
+@item M P r
+@kindex M P r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
+Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+
+@item M P t
+@kindex M P t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+
+@item M P T
+@kindex M P T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+
+@item M P v
+@kindex M P v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
+Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
+
+@item M P s
+@kindex M P s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
+Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+
+@item M P S
+@kindex M P S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
+Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
+
+@item M P a
+@kindex M P a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
+Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+
+@item M P b
+@kindex M P b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
+Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
+
+@item M P k
+@kindex M P k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
+
+@item M P y
+@kindex M P y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
+Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
+
+@item M P w
+@kindex M P w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Limiting
+@section Limiting
+@cindex limiting
+
+It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
+subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
+commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
+buffer.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item / /
+@itemx / s
+@kindex / / (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+
+@item / a
+@kindex / a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
+
+@item / u
+@itemx x
+@kindex / u (Summary)
+@kindex x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that are not marked as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
+buffer to articles that are strictly unread. This means that ticked and
+dormant articles will also be excluded.
+
+@item / m
+@kindex / m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
+Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
+with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
+
+@item / n
+@kindex / n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
+Limit the summary buffer to the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item / w
+@kindex / w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
+Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
+the stack.
+
+@item / v
+@kindex / v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
+score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
+
+@item / E
+@itemx M S
+@kindex M S (Summary)
+@kindex / E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
+Display all expunged articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
+
+@item / D
+@kindex / D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
+Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
+
+@item / d
+@kindex / d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
+Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
+
+@item / c
+@kindex / c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
+Hide all dormant articles that have no children
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
+
+@item / C
+@kindex / C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
+Mark all excluded unread articles as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
+also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Threading
+@section Threading
+@cindex threading
+@cindex article threading
+
+Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put replies to
+articles directly after the articles they reply to---in a hierarchical
+fashion.
+
+@menu
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Customizing Threading
+@subsection Customizing Threading
+@cindex customizing threading
+@cindex <
+@cindex >
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-show-threads
+@vindex gnus-show-threads
+If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
+the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
+off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
+slower and more awkward.
+
+@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
+more old headers---headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
+would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
+connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
+to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
+that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
+fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
+overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
+@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
+expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
+
+@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
+@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
+Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
+gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
+the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
+articles that belong in the same thread together. This will leave
+@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
+is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
+lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
+question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
+``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
+thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
+off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
+@code{nil} by default.
+
+@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
+subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
+super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
+presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
+you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
+first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
+variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
+everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
+
+@cindex fuzzy article gathering
+If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
+use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
+that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
+simplification is used.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
+as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
+
+@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+ (concat
+ "\\`\\[?\\("
+ (mapconcat 'identity
+ '("looking"
+ "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
+ "help" "query" "problem" "question"
+ "answer" "reference" "announce"
+ "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
+ ;; ...
+ )
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)\\s *\\("
+ (mapconcat 'identity
+ '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
+@end lisp
+
+All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
+subjects.
+
+@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
+to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
+@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
+you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
+what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process. The
+default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
+that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
+is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
+@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
+This will ensure that no gathered threads ever includes unrelated
+articles, but it's also means that people who have posted with broken
+newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
+cholera:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+This function is the default gathering function and looks at
+@code{Subject}s exclusively.
+
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
+@end table
+
+If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
+something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
+and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
+Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
+read or killed the root in a previous session.
+
+When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
+something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
+There are four possible values:
+
+@cindex adopting articles
+
+@table @code
+
+@item adopt
+Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
+parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
+marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
+square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
+
+@item dummy
+@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
+parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
+selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
+article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
+format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
+which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+@item empty
+Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
+subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
+use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Format}).)
+
+@item none
+Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
+display them after one another.
+
+@item nil
+Don't gather loose threads.
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
+generated.
+
+@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
+if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
+will be hidden.
+
+@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
+is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
+in a new thread.
+
+@item gnus-thread-indent-level
+@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
+This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
+The default is @code{4}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Thread Commands
+@subsection Thread Commands
+@cindex thread commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item T k
+@itemx M-C-k
+@kindex T k (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
+Mark all articles in the current sub-thread as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
+remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
+articles instead.
+
+@item T l
+@itemx M-C-l
+@kindex T l (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
+Lower the score of the current thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
+
+@item T i
+@kindex T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
+Increase the score of the current thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
+
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Set the process mark on the current thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Remove the process mark from the current thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+
+@item T T
+@kindex T T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
+Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
+
+@item T s
+@kindex T s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
+Expose the thread hidden under the current article, if any
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
+
+@item T h
+@kindex T h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
+Hide the current (sub)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
+
+@item T S
+@kindex T S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
+Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
+
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
+Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
+
+@item T t
+@kindex T t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
+Re-thread the thread the current article is part of
+(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
+summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
+
+@item T ^
+@kindex T ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
+Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}.
+
+@end table
+
+The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
+understand the numeric prefix.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
+Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
+
+@item T p
+@kindex T p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
+Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
+
+@item T d
+@kindex T d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
+Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
+
+@item T u
+@kindex T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
+Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
+
+@item T o
+@kindex T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
+Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
+If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
+threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
+a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
+wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
+have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
+you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If is
+is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
+when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
+the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
+operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
+that have subjects that are fuzzily equal will be included.
+
+
+@node Sorting
+@section Sorting
+
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
+setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
+By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
+predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
+
+Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
+thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
+normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
+more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
+in the list. You should probably always include
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
+functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
+equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
+ascending article order.
+
+If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
+number, you could do something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+@end lisp
+
+The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
+summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
+alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
+subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
+which the articles arrived.
+
+If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
+say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '((lambda (t1 t2)
+ (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
+The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
+@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
+functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
+tickles your fancy.
+
+@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
+If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
+you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
+It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
+is uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
+sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
+
+If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
+say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
+ gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
+@end lisp
+
+
+
+@node Asynchronous Fetching
+@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
+@cindex asynchronous article fetching
+
+If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
+network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
+for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
+article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
+while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
+
+First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
+article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
+
+Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
+quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
+know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
+article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
+connection is blocked.
+
+To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
+connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
+thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
+extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
+
+Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
+the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
+loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
+also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
+extra connection.
+
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
+you really want to.
+
+@vindex gnus-asynchronous
+Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
+happen automatically.
+
+@vindex nntp-async-number
+You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
+@code{nntp-async-number}. This is five by default, which means that when
+you read an article in the group, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch the next
+five articles. If this variable is @code{t}, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch
+all the articles that it can without bound. If it is @code{nil}, no
+pre-fetching will be made.
+
+@vindex gnus-asynchronous-article-function
+You may wish to create some sort of scheme for choosing which articles
+that @code{nntp} should consider as candidates for pre-fetching. For
+instance, you may wish to pre-fetch all articles with high scores, and
+not pre-fetch low-scored articles. You can do that by setting the
+@code{gnus-asynchronous-article-function}, which will be called with an
+alist where the keys are the article numbers. Your function should
+return an alist where the articles you are not interested in have been
+removed. You could also do sorting on article score and the like.
+
+
+@node Article Caching
+@section Article Caching
+@cindex article caching
+@cindex caching
+
+If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
+consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
+locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
+potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
+your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
+
+Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+@vindex gnus-cache-directory
+@vindex gnus-use-cache
+To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
+all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
+over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
+cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
+
+When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
+cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
+expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
+keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
+as dormant, and don't worry.
+
+When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
+
+@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
+@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
+The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
+variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
+dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
+put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
+articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
+symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
+@code{unread} and @code{read}.
+
+@findex gnus-jog-cache
+So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
+picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
+subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
+the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
+your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
+and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
+
+@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
+It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
+if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
+sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
+feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
+you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
+@samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
+default.
+
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
+@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
+The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
+file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
+of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
+offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
+gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
+files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
+file.
+
+
+@node Persistent Articles
+@section Persistent Articles
+@cindex persistent articles
+
+Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
+In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
+useful in my opinion.
+
+Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
+that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
+(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
+that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
+the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
+the expiry going on at the news server.
+
+This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
+be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
+you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item *
+@kindex * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
+Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+
+@item M-*
+@kindex M-* (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
+Remove the current article from the persistent articles
+(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
+article.
+@end table
+
+Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
+
+To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
+you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
+interested in persistent articles:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Article Backlog
+@section Article Backlog
+@cindex backlog
+@cindex article backlog
+
+If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
+unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
+by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
+already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
+you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
+re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
+that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
+increase memory usage some.
+
+@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
+If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
+at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
+variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
+@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
+bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
+that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
+
+This variable is @code{nil} by default.
+
+
+@node Saving Articles
+@section Saving Articles
+@cindex saving articles
+
+Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
+for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
+processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
+approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+
+@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
+If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
+unwanted headers before saving the article.
+
+@vindex gnus-saved-headers
+If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
+@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
+deleted before saving.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item O o
+@itemx o
+@kindex O o (Summary)
+@kindex o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article
+Save the current article using the default article saver
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
+
+@item O m
+@kindex O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
+Save the current article in mail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
+
+@item O r
+@kindex O r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
+Save the current article in rmail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
+
+@item O f
+@kindex O f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
+Save the current article in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
+
+@item O b
+@kindex O b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
+Save the current article body in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
+
+@item O h
+@kindex O h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
+Save the current article in mh folder format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
+
+@item O v
+@kindex O v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
+Save the current article in a VM folder
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
+
+@item O p
+@kindex O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
+Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
+the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
+All these commands use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
+functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
+and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
+the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
+default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
+loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
+just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
+have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
+to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
+save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
+files.
+
+
+@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
+You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
+Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
+functions below, or you can create your own.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
+Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@vindex gnus-file-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
+the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-folder-save-name
+@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
+@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
+@cindex rcvstore
+@cindex MH folders
+Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
+library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
+to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
+@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
+@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}. The former creates capitalized names, and
+the latter does not.
+
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
+reader to use this setting.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
+All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
+in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
+@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
+default.
+
+As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
+suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
+available functions that generate names:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
+Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+
+@item gnus-numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+
+@item gnus-Plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
+Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+
+@item gnus-plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+Generates file names that look like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-split-methods
+You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
+the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
+save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
+related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
+like:
+
+@lisp
+(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
+ ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
+ (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
+ ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
+@end lisp
+
+We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
+elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
+a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
+head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
+group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
+@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
+the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
+result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
+called returns a string or a list of strings.
+
+You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
+saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
+then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
+name completion over the results from applying this variable.
+
+This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
+means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
+@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
+name.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
+@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
+(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
+the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
+all the files in the toplevel directory
+(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
+@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
+on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
+Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
+
+This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
+is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
+names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
+@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
+contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
+for kill files.
+
+If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
+a spool, you could
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
+(setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
+@end lisp
+
+Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
+ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
+the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
+around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
+
+
+@node Decoding Articles
+@section Decoding Articles
+@cindex decoding articles
+
+Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
+encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
+
+@menu
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+@end menu
+
+All these functions use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
+the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
+can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
+articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
+
+Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
+simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
+last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
+
+For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
+will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
+([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
+
+Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
+series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
+commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
+
+
+@node Uuencoded Articles
+@subsection Uuencoded Articles
+@cindex uudecode
+@cindex uuencoded articles
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item X u
+@kindex X u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
+Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
+
+@item X U
+@kindex X U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
+Uudecodes and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+
+@item X v u
+@kindex X v u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
+Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+
+@item X v U
+@kindex X v U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
+Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
+@end table
+
+Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
+the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
+entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+
+All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
+@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
+the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
+articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
+@kbd{X u}.
+
+@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
+Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
+@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
+@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
+automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
+you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
+off.
+
+
+@node Shared Articles
+@subsection Shared Articles
+@cindex unshar
+@cindex shared articles
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item X s
+@kindex X s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
+Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
+
+@item X S
+@kindex X S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
+Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
+
+@item X v s
+@kindex X v s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
+Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
+
+@item X v S
+@kindex X v S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
+Unshars, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node PostScript Files
+@subsection PostScript Files
+@cindex PostScript
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item X p
+@kindex X p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
+Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
+
+@item X P
+@kindex X P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
+Unpack and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
+
+@item X v p
+@kindex X v p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
+View the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+
+@item X v P
+@kindex X v P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
+View and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Decoding Variables
+@subsection Decoding Variables
+
+Adjective, not verb.
+
+@menu
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Rule Variables
+@subsubsection Rule Variables
+@cindex rule variables
+
+Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
+variables are on the form
+
+@lisp
+ (list '(regexp1 command2)
+ '(regexp2 command2)
+ ...)
+@end lisp
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@cindex sox
+This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
+say something like:
+@lisp
+ (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+ (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
+user and default view rules.
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
+archives.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Other Decode Variables
+@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
+
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+
+@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+All functions in this list will be called right each file has been
+successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
+and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
+anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-grab-view
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
+View the file.
+
+@item gnus-uu-grab-move
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
+Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
+Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
+@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
+kludgey.
+
+@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
+
+@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
+looking for files to display.
+
+@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
+Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
+after viewing it.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
+rules.
+
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
+unpacking commands.
+
+@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
+from articles.
+
+@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
+unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
+
+@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
+uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
+
+@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@cindex metamail
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
+commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
+content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
+@code{metamail} for viewing.
+
+@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
+decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
+embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
+to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
+simply dropped them.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Uuencoding and Posting
+@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
+before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
+either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
+for you when you post the article.
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-length
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
+Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
+many articles it takes to post the entire file.
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
+thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
+to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
+seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
+think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
+article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
+variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
+at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
+Default is @code{t}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Viewing Files
+@subsection Viewing Files
+@cindex viewing files
+@cindex pseudo-articles
+
+After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
+to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
+viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
+containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
+uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
+This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
+of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+
+Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
+extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
+``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
+will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
+
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
+until the viewing is done before proceeding.
+
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
+the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
+immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
+be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
+
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
+pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
+@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
+a list of parameters to that command.
+
+@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
+If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
+pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
+@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
+Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
+
+
+@node Article Treatment
+@section Article Treatment
+
+Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
+object of newsreaders are to actually, like, read what people have
+written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
+writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
+these articles easier.
+
+@menu
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Article Highlighting
+@subsection Article Highlighting
+@cindex highlight
+
+Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
+you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W H a
+@kindex W H a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight
+Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
+
+@item W H h
+@kindex W H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
+@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
+Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
+highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
+variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
+name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
+header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
+@var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
+match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
+prepended---Gnus will add one.
+
+@item W H c
+@kindex W H c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
+Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
+
+Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
+
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+
+@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
+default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
+
+@item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
+@vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
+Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
+
+@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
+Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
+
+@item gnus-cite-face-list
+@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
+List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
+from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
+citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
+see who wrote what.
+
+@item gnus-supercite-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
+Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
+
+@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
+
+@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
+that it's a citation.
+
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
+
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
+
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
+Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
+cited text belonging to the attribution.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@item W H s
+@kindex W H s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+@vindex gnus-signature-face
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
+Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
+Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
+Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
+highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
+default.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Article Hiding
+@subsection Article Hiding
+@cindex article hiding
+
+Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
+too much cruft in most articles.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W W a
+@kindex W W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide
+Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
+
+@item W W h
+@kindex W W h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
+Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
+Headers}.
+
+@item W W b
+@kindex W W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
+
+@item W W s
+@kindex W W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
+Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
+Signature}.
+
+@item W W p
+@kindex W W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
+Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}).
+
+@item W W P
+@kindex W W P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
+Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhavnced hessages) gruft
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
+
+@item W W c
+@kindex W W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
+customizing the hiding:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
+50), hide the cited text.
+
+@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+The cited text must be have at least this length (default 10) before it
+is hidden.
+
+@item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
+Gnus adds buttons show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
+allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
+by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
+specs are legal:
+
+@table @samp
+@item b
+Start point of the hidden text.
+@item e
+End point of the hidden text.
+@item l
+Length of the hidden text.
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
+@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
+The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
+
+@end table
+
+@item W W C
+@kindex W W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
+Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
+useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
+in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+
+@end table
+
+All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
+prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
+hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
+
+Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
+citation customization.
+
+
+@node Article Washing
+@subsection Article Washing
+@cindex washing
+@cindex article washing
+
+We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
+@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
+
+@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
+something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
+Cleaner, perhaps.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W l
+@kindex W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
+Remove page breaks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
+
+@item W r
+@kindex W r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
+Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
+
+@item W t
+@kindex W t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
+
+@item W v
+@kindex W v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
+
+@item W m
+@kindex W m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
+Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
+
+@item W o
+@kindex W o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
+Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+
+@item W w
+@kindex W w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
+Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
+function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
+late and certainly after any highlighting.
+
+@item W c
+@kindex W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
+Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
+
+@item W q
+@kindex W q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
+
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Summary)
+@cindex x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
+Look for and display any X-Face headers
+(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
+function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
+If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
+sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
+face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
+is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
+The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
+face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
+@code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
+support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
+X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
+external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
+want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
+last.
+
+@item W b
+@kindex W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
+Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
+
+@item W B
+@kindex W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
+Add clickable buttons to the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
+
+@item W E l
+@kindex W E l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E m
+@kindex W E m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
+Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
+lines with a single empty line.
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E t
+@kindex W E t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
+
+@item W E a
+@kindex W E a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
+Do all the three commands above
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Article Buttons
+@subsection Article Buttons
+@cindex buttons
+
+People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
+be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
+with the minimum of fuzz.
+
+Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
+two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
+article heads:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-alist
+This is an alist where each entry has this form:
+
+@lisp
+(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
+
+@table @var
+
+@item regexp
+All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
+external reference. Here's a typical regexp that match embedded URLs:
+@samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
+
+@item button-par
+Gnus has to know which parts of the match is to be highlighted. This is
+a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp that is to be
+highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use @code{0} here.
+
+@item use-p
+This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
+this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
+avoid false matches.
+
+@item function
+This function will be called when you click on this button.
+
+@item data-par
+As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
+says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
+
+@end table
+
+So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
+
+@lisp
+("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-header-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
+This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
+article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
+used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
+
+@lisp
+(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
+
+@var{header} is a regular expression.
+
+@item gnus-button-url-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
+A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
+default values of the variables above.
+
+@item gnus-article-button-face
+@vindex gnus-article-button-face
+Face used on bottons.
+
+@item gnus-article-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
+Face is used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Article Date
+@subsection Article Date
+
+The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
+heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
+when the article was sent.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W T u
+@kindex W T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-ut
+Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
+(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
+
+@item W T l
+@kindex W T l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-local
+Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
+
+@item W T e
+@kindex W T e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
+Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
+(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
+
+@item W T o
+@kindex W T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-original
+Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
+be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and is
+worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
+that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
+@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Article Signature
+@subsection Article Signature
+@cindex signatures
+@cindex article signature
+
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
+body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
+that says what is to be considered a signature is
+@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
+@samp{"^-- $"} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
+non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
+of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
+from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-separator
+ '("^-- $" ; The standard
+ "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
+ "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
+ ; line of dashes. Shame!
+ "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
+ "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
+ "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
+@end lisp
+
+The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
+positives.
+
+@vindex gnus-signature-limit
+@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
+signature.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
+that integer.
+@item
+If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
+than that number.
+@item
+If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
+and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
+@item
+If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
+in question is not a signature.
+@end enumerate
+
+This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
+listed above.
+
+
+@node Summary Sorting
+@section Summary Sorting
+@cindex summary sorting
+
+You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
+can't really see why you'd want that.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-c C-s C-n
+@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
+Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-a
+@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
+Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-s
+@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
+Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-d
+@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
+Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
+
+@item C-c C-s C-i
+@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
+Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+@end table
+
+These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
+use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
+line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
+root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
+toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
+Commands}).
+
+
+@node Finding the Parent
+@section Finding the Parent
+@cindex parent articles
+@cindex referring articles
+
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
+@kindex ^ (Summary)
+If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
+displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
+if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
+and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
+can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
+you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
+summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
+
+If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
+the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
+ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
+grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
+@kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
+article.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
+@kindex A R (Summary)
+You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
+header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
+
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
+@kindex M-^ (Summary)
+You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
+matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
+@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long thingies that look
+something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You have to get
+it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+
+@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
+If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
+support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
+you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
+would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
+as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
+not really necessary.
+
+Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
+not do a particularly excellent job of it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
+@code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
+@code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
+have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
+consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
+
+
+@node Alternative Approaches
+@section Alternative Approaches
+
+Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
+Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
+
+@menu
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Pick and Read
+@subsection Pick and Read
+@cindex pick and read
+
+Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{nn}) use a two-phased
+reading interface. The user first marks the articles she wants to read
+from a summary buffer. Then she starts reading the articles with just
+an article buffer displayed.
+
+@findex gnus-pick-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
+Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
+this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
+mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
+it makes one additional command for switching to the summary buffer
+available.
+
+Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item .
+@kindex . (Pick)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
+Pick the article on the current line
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
+go to the article on that line and pick that article. (The line number
+is normally displayed on the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-next-page
+Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
+at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
+
+@item u
+@kindex u (Pick)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+
+@item U
+@kindex U (Pick)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
+Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
+
+@item t
+@kindex t (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+
+@item T
+@kindex T (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+
+@item r
+@kindex r (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
+Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+
+@item R
+@kindex R (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
+Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
+
+@item e
+@kindex e (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
+Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
+
+@item E
+@kindex E (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
+Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
+
+@item b
+@kindex b (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
+Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
+
+@item B
+@kindex B (Pick)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
+Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
+@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
+Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
+given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
+@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
+will still be visible when you are reading.
+
+@end table
+
+If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
+
+@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
+If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
+all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
+The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different than the
+standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
+displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
+
+
+@node Binary Groups
+@subsection Binary Groups
+@cindex binary groups
+
+@findex gnus-binary-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
+If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
+@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
+is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
+selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
+instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
+
+@kindex g (Binary)
+@findex gnus-binary-show-article
+In fact, the only way to see the actual articles if you have turned this
+mode on is the @kbd{g} command (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
+
+@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
+
+
+@node Tree Display
+@section Tree Display
+@cindex trees
+
+@vindex gnus-use-trees
+If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
+@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
+additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
+in the tree buffer.
+
+There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
+A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
+is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
+Buffer Mode Line}.
+
+@item gnus-selected-tree-face
+@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
+Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
+default is @code{modeline}.
+
+@item gnus-tree-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
+A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
+though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
+is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
+the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
+length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
+
+Legal specs are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item n
+The name of the poster.
+@item f
+The @code{From} header.
+@item N
+The number of the article.
+@item [
+The opening bracket.
+@item ]
+The closing bracket.
+@item s
+The subject.
+@end table
+
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+Variables related to the display are:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-brackets
+@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
+This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
+``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
+(sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
+default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
+
+@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
+nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
+
+@end table
+
+@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
+@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
+buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
+windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
+higher than that number. The default is @code{t}.
+
+@item gnus-generate-tree-function
+@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
+@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
+The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
+functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
+@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
+
+@end table
+
+Here's and example from a horizontal tree buffer:
+
+@example
+@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
+ | \[Jan]
+ | \[odd]-[Eri]
+ | \(***)-[Eri]
+ | \[odd]-[Paa]
+ \[Bjo]
+ \[Gun]
+ \[Gun]-[Jor]
+@end example
+
+Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
+
+@example
+@{***@}
+ |--------------------------\-----\-----\
+(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
+ |--\-----\-----\ |
+[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
+ | | |--\
+[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
+ |
+ [Paa]
+@end example
+
+
+@node Mail Group Commands
+@section Mail Group Commands
+@cindex mail group commands
+
+Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
+illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
+
+All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item B e
+@kindex B e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
+Expire all expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
+
+@item B M-C-e
+@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
+Expunge all the expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
+articles that are eligible for expiry in the current group will
+disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
+
+@item B DEL
+@kindex B DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
+Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
+disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
+(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
+
+@item B m
+@kindex B m (Summary)
+@cindex move mail
+@findex gnus-summary-move-article
+Move the article from one mail group to another
+(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+
+@item B c
+@kindex B c (Summary)
+@cindex copy mail
+@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
+Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
+(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
+
+@item B C
+@kindex B C (Summary)
+@cindex crosspost mail
+@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
+Crosspost the current article to some other group
+(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
+the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
+be properly updated.
+
+@item B i
+@kindex B i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-import-article
+Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
+name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+
+@item B r
+@kindex B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+
+@item B w
+@itemx e
+@kindex B w (Summary)
+@kindex e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
+@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
+editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
+(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
+
+@item B q
+@kindex B q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
+If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
+the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
+will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
+
+@item B p
+@kindex B p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
+Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
+follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
+@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
+(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
+article from your news server (or rather, from
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
+report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
+it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
+propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
+just not have arrived yet.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
+@cindex moving articles
+If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
+suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
+variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
+(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
+suggestions you find reasonable.
+
+
+@node Various Summary Stuff
+@section Various Summary Stuff
+
+@menu
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+@end menu
+
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
+@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
+This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
+@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
+This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
+generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
+the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
+is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
+has been set.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+Is is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
+it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
+some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Group Information
+@subsection Summary Group Information
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
+current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
+FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
+on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
+In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} probably will be used for
+fetching the file.
+
+@item H d
+@kindex H d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
+Give a brief description of the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
+rereading the description from the server.
+
+@item H h
+@kindex H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
+Give a very brief description of the most important summary keystrokes
+(@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item H i
+@kindex H i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Searching for Articles
+@subsection Searching for Articles
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M-s
+@kindex M-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
+Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
+
+@item M-r
+@kindex M-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
+Search through all previous articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
+
+@item &
+@kindex & (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
+This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
+match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
+(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
+
+@item M-&
+@kindex M-& (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
+Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
+the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Really Various Summary Commands
+@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-d
+@kindex C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
+If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
+a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
+guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
+to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
+whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages on
+some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
+fashion.
+
+@item M-C-d
+@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-read-document
+This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
+several documents into one biiig group
+(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
+@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
+@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item C-t
+@kindex C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
+Toggle truncation of summary lines (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}).
+
+@item =
+@kindex = (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
+Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
+If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary exit
+@cindex exiting groups
+
+Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
+group and return you to the group buffer.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item Z Z
+@itemx q
+@kindex Z Z (Summary)
+@kindex q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit
+@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+Exit the current group and update all information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
+called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
+@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
+@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
+process.
+
+@item Z E
+@itemx Q
+@kindex Z E (Summary)
+@kindex Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
+Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
+
+@item Z c
+@itemx c
+@kindex Z c (Summary)
+@kindex c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
+Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
+
+@item Z C
+@kindex Z C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
+Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
+
+@item Z n
+@kindex Z n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
+
+@item Z R
+@kindex Z R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
+Exit this group, and then enter it again
+(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
+all articles, both read and unread.
+
+@item Z G
+@itemx M-g
+@kindex Z G (Summary)
+@kindex M-g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
+Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
+group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
+articles, both read and unread.
+
+@item Z N
+@kindex Z N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-group
+Exit the group and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
+
+@item Z P
+@kindex Z P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
+Exit the group and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
+@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
+group.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
+@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
+@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
+If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
+about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
+If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
+(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
+something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
+called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
+buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
+@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
+summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
+
+There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
+The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
+read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
+summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
+@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
+this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
+other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
+neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
+both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
+
+
+@node Crosspost Handling
+@section Crosspost Handling
+
+@cindex velveeta
+@cindex spamming
+Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
+read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
+posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
+several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
+by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
+heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
+(@pxref{NoCeM}).
+
+Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
+separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
+@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
+@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
+excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+
+@cindex cross-posting
+@cindex Xref
+@cindex @sc{nov}
+One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
+correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
+(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
+does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
+Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
+even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
+articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
+them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
+the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
+the cross reference mechanism.
+
+@cindex LIST overview.fmt
+@cindex overview.fmt
+To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
+in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
+@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
+overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
+get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
+your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
+overview files.
+
+@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
+If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
+set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
+considerably.
+
+C'est la vie.
+
+For an alternative approach, @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+
+
+@node Duplicate Suppression
+@section Duplicate Suppression
+
+By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
+article more than once by utilizing the crossposing mechanism
+(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
+approach may not work satisfactorily for some users for various
+reasons.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
+is evil and not very common.
+
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
+@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
+
+@item
+You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
+different @sc{nntp} servers.
+
+@item
+You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
+@end enumerate
+
+I'm sure there are other situations that @code{Xref} handling fails as
+well, but these four are the most common situations.
+
+If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
+consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
+will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
+otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
+all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
+mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
+so. It's certainly preferrable to reading the same articles more than
+once.
+
+Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
+sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
+fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
+to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
+article as read the the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
+saw the article in.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
+@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
+If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
+
+@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
+@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
+If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
+make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
+However, this means that only duplicate articles that is read in a
+single Gnus session are suppressed.
+
+@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
+This variables says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
+suppression list. The default is 10000.
+
+@item gnus-duplicate-file
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
+The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list. The
+default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
+@end table
+
+If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
+you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
+the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
+so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
+to you to figure out, I think.
+
+
+@node The Article Buffer
+@chapter The Article Buffer
+@cindex article buffer
+
+The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
+one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
+tell Gnus otherwise.
+
+@menu
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Hiding Headers
+@section Hiding Headers
+@cindex hiding headers
+@cindex deleting headers
+
+The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
+@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
+
+@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
+There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
+who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
+article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
+most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
+through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
+@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
+of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
+article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
+
+Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-visible-headers
+@vindex gnus-visible-headers
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
+that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
+headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
+
+For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
+the article and the subject, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
+@end lisp
+
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
+remain visible.
+
+@item gnus-ignored-headers
+@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
+This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
+variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
+should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
+hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
+
+For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
+and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
+@end lisp
+
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
+be removed.
+
+Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
+variable will have no effect.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
+Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
+can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
+variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
+the headers are to be displayed.
+
+For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
+and then the subject, you might say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
+@end lisp
+
+Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
+variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
+are listed in this variable.
+
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
+@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
+You can hide further boring headers by entering
+@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
+@code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
+the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
+list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
+@dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
+
+These conditions are:
+@table @code
+@item empty
+Remove all empty headers.
+@item newsgroups
+Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
+name.
+@item followup-to
+Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
+@code{Newsgroups} header.
+@item reply-to
+Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
+@code{From} header.
+@item date
+Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
+old.
+@end table
+
+To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
+ '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
+@end lisp
+
+This is also the default value for this variable.
+
+
+@node Using MIME
+@section Using @sc{mime}
+@cindex @sc{mime}
+
+Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
+while people stand around yawning.
+
+@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
+while all newsreaders die of fear.
+
+@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
+of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
+other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+
+@vindex gnus-show-mime
+@vindex gnus-show-mime-method
+@vindex gnus-strict-mime
+@findex metamail-buffer
+Gnus handles @sc{mime} by shoving the articles through
+@code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
+default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
+@sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
+non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
+@sc{mime} headers in the article.
+
+It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
+buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
+group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
+decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
+comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
+button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
+and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
+program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
+decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
+
+Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
+
+
+@node Customizing Articles
+@section Customizing Articles
+@cindex article customization
+
+@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
+The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
+been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
+treatment of the article before it is displayed.
+
+@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
+By default it contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
+@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
+@code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
+millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
+functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
+@pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
+Date}.
+
+You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
+from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
+There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
+change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
+make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
+
+
+@node Article Keymap
+@section Article Keymap
+
+Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
+article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
+buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
+buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
+buffer.
+
+A few additional keystrokes are available:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-page
+Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
+
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-page
+Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+
+@item C-c ^
+@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-refer-article
+If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
+@kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
+(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
+
+@item C-c C-m
+@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-mail
+Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
+given a prefix, include the mail.
+
+@item s
+@kindex s (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-show-summary
+Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
+(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
+Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
+(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item TAB
+@kindex TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-button
+Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}. This
+only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
+
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-button
+Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Misc Article
+@section Misc Article
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-single-article-buffer
+@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
+If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
+(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
+article buffer.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
+This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
+article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
+depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
+the contents of the article buffer.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
+@item gnus-article-display-hook
+This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
+intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
+hiding headers, and the like.
+
+@item gnus-article-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
+Hook called in article mode buffers.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
+@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
+This variable is a format string along the same lines as
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
+format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
+
+@table @samp
+@item w
+The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
+character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
+performed.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-break-pages
+
+@item gnus-break-pages
+Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
+is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
+page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
+paging will not be done.
+
+@item gnus-page-delimiter
+@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
+This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
+(form linefeed).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Composing Messages
+@chapter Composing Messages
+@cindex reply
+@cindex followup
+@cindex post
+
+@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
+All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
+where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
+by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
+Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
+article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
+to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
+
+@menu
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Post:: Posting and following up.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+@c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
+@c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+@c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+@end menu
+
+Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
+remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
+
+
+@node Mail
+@section Mail
+
+Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
+@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
+List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Post
+@section Post
+
+Variables for composing news articles:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
+@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
+Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
+sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
+user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
+dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to sent the
+same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
+history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
+this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
+file.
+
+@item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
+@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
+file. It is 1000 by default.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Posting Server
+@section Posting Server
+
+When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
+(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+
+Thank you for asking. I hate you.
+
+@vindex gnus-post-method
+
+It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
+server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
+reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
+(extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
+then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
+
+Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
+this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
+can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
+the ``current'' server for posting.
+
+If you give a zero prefix (i. e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
+Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
+
+You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
+If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
+for posting.
+
+
+@node Mail and Post
+@section Mail and Post
+
+Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
+posting:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@cindex mailing lists
+
+If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists that are
+gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
+problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
+One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
+@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that match the groups that
+really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
+lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
+still a pain, though.
+
+@end table
+
+You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
+you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
+spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
+
+@cindex ispell
+@findex ispell-message
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Archived Messages
+@section Archived Messages
+@cindex archived messages
+@cindex sent messages
+
+Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail you send.
+The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to store
+the mail. If you want to disable this completely, you should set
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil}.
+
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
+use to store sent messages. It is @code{(nnfolder "archive"
+(nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))} by default, but you can use any
+mail select method (@code{nnml}, @code{nnmbox}, etc.). However,
+@code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method for doing this sort of
+thing. If you don't like the default directory chosen, you could say
+something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-method
+ '(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
+@cindex Gcc
+Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
+to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
+determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
+
+This variable can be:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item a string
+Messages will be saved in that group.
+@item a list of strings
+Messages will be saved in all those groups.
+@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
+When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
+@item @code{nil}
+No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
+@end itemize
+
+Let's illustrate:
+
+Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
+@end lisp
+
+Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
+@end lisp
+
+Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
+ ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
+ (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+@end lisp
+
+More complex stuff:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ "misc-mail")))
+@end lisp
+
+How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
+messages in one file per month:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ (concat "mail." (format-time-string
+ "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
+@end lisp
+
+Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
+group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
+you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
+archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
+Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
+enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
+group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
+if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
+nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
+continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
+
+That's the default method of archiving sent mail. Gnus also offers two
+other variables for the people who don't like the default method. In
+that case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to
+@code{nil}; this will disable archiving.
+
+XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
+use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.
+
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
+@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
+All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
+all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
+you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
+group names.
+
+If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
+message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
+current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
+of names).
+@end table
+
+
+@c @node Posting Styles
+@c @section Posting Styles
+@c @cindex posting styles
+@c @cindex styles
+@c
+@c All them variables, they make my head swim.
+@c
+@c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
+@c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
+@c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
+@c on?
+@c
+@c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
+@c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
+@c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
+@c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
+@c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
+@c variable:
+@c
+@c @lisp
+@c ((".*"
+@c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
+@c (organization . "What me?"))
+@c ("^comp"
+@c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
+@c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
+@c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
+@c @end lisp
+@c
+@c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
+@c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
+@c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
+@c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
+@c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
+@c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
+@c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
+@c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
+@c
+@c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
+@c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
+@c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
+@c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
+@c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
+@c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
+@c to @dfn{match}.
+@c
+@c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+@c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
+@c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
+@c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
+@c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
+@c article.
+@c
+@c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
+@c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
+@c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
+@c
+@c So here's a new example:
+@c
+@c @lisp
+@c (setq gnus-posting-styles
+@c '((".*"
+@c (signature . "~/.signature")
+@c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
+@c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+@c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
+@c ("^rec.humor"
+@c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
+@c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
+@c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
+@c (posting-from-work-p
+@c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
+@c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
+@c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
+@c ("^nn.+:"
+@c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
+@c @end lisp
+
+@c @node Drafts
+@c @section Drafts
+@c @cindex drafts
+@c
+@c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
+@c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
+@c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
+@c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
+@c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
+@c
+@c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
+@c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
+@c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
+@c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
+@c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
+@c group.)
+@c
+@c @cindex nndraft
+@c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
+@c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
+@c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
+@c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
+@c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
+@c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
+@c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
+@c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
+@c
+@c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
+@c to it.
+@c
+@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
+@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
+@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
+@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
+@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
+@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
+@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
+@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
+@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
+@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
+@c
+@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
+@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
+@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
+@c
+@c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
+@c @kindex S D c (Summary)
+@c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
+@c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
+@c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
+@c
+@c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
+@c Articles}).
+@c
+@c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
+@c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
+@c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
+@c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
+@c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@c
+@c
+@c @node Rejected Articles
+@c @section Rejected Articles
+@c @cindex rejected articles
+@c
+@c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
+@c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
+@c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
+@c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
+@c
+@c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
+@c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
+@c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
+@c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
+@c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
+@c
+@c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
+@c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
+@c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
+@c
+
+@node Select Methods
+@chapter Select Methods
+@cindex foreign groups
+@cindex select methods
+
+A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
+default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
+@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
+personal mail group.
+
+A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
+a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
+list where the first element says what backend to use (eg. @code{nntp},
+@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
+name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
+value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
+
+One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
+we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
+
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
+group as.
+
+For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
+@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
+method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group, in
+all circumstances, @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the
+@code{nntp} backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+
+The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
+
+@menu
+* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node The Server Buffer
+@section The Server Buffer
+
+Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
+one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
+connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
+one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
+the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
+backend represents a virtual server.
+
+For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
+different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
+on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
+use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
+
+These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
+complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
+@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number @code{13}, which
+hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
+Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
+server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
+select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
+
+To enter the server buffer, user the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
+
+@menu
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+@end menu
+
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
+
+
+@node Server Buffer Format
+@subsection Server Buffer Format
+@cindex server buffer format
+
+@vindex gnus-server-line-format
+You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
+@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
+variable, with some simple extensions:
+
+@table @samp
+
+@item h
+How the news is fetched---the backend name.
+
+@item n
+The name of this server.
+
+@item w
+Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
+
+@item s
+The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
+The mode line can also be customized by using the
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
+understood:
+
+@table @samp
+@item S
+Server name.
+
+@item M
+Server method.
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
+
+
+@node Server Commands
+@subsection Server Commands
+@cindex server commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item a
+@kindex a (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-add-server
+Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
+
+@item e
+@kindex e (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-edit-server
+Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-read-server
+Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
+
+@item q
+@kindex q (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
+
+@item k
+@kindex k (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-kill-server
+Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
+
+@item y
+@kindex y (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-yank-server
+Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
+
+@item c
+@kindex c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-copy-server
+Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
+
+@item l
+@kindex l (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-list-servers
+List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Example Methods
+@subsection Example Methods
+
+Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "news.funet.fi")
+@end lisp
+
+Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+
+@lisp
+(nnspool "")
+@end lisp
+
+As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
+backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
+will.
+
+After these two elements, there may be a arbitrary number of
+@var{(variable form)} pairs.
+
+To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
+port @code{15} from that machine. This is what the select method should
+look like then:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
+@end lisp
+
+You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
+variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
+
+@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
+you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
+mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
+you private mail:
+
+@lisp
+(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
+@end lisp
+
+(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
+that.)
+
+Here's the method for a public spool:
+
+@lisp
+(nnmh "public"
+ (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
+ (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Creating a Virtual Server
+@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
+
+If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
+articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
+
+First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
+would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
+could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
+
+Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
+
+You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
+@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
+Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
+will contain the following:
+
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache")
+@end lisp
+
+Change that to:
+
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache"
+ (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+@end lisp
+
+Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
+@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
+buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
+
+
+@node Servers and Methods
+@subsection Servers and Methods
+
+Wherever you would normally use a select method
+(eg. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
+when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
+instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
+over.
+
+
+@node Unavailable Servers
+@subsection Unavailable Servers
+
+If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
+@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
+with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
+will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
+actually the case or not.
+
+That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
+Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to the server
+@samp{nepholococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
+away from you, the machine is quite, so it takes 1 minute just to find
+out that it refuses connection from you today. If Gnus were to attempt
+to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't attempt to do
+that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'', it will
+regard that server as ``down''.
+
+So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
+How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
+
+You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
+with the following commands:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item O
+@kindex O (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-server
+Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
+(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
+
+@item C
+@kindex C (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-server
+Close the connection (if any) to the server
+(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
+
+@item D
+@kindex D (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-deny-server
+Mark the current server as unreachable
+(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
+
+@item M-o
+@kindex M-o (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
+Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
+
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
+Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
+
+@item R
+@kindex R (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
+Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from all servers
+(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Getting News
+@section Getting News
+@cindex reading news
+@cindex news backends
+
+A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
+only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
+or it can read from a local spool.
+
+@menu
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node NNTP
+@subsection @sc{nntp}
+@cindex nntp
+
+Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
+You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
+server as the, uhm, address.
+
+If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
+third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
+to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
+that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+
+The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
+fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
+you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
+server:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-server-opened-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
+@cindex @sc{mode reader}
+@cindex authinfo
+@cindex authentification
+@cindex nntp authentification
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
+@code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
+It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
+been contacted. By default is sends the command @code{MODE READER} to
+the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function.
+
+@item nntp-authinfo-function
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
+This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
+server. Available functions include:
+
+@table @code
+@item nntp-send-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+This function will used you current login name as the user name and will
+prompt you for the password. This is the default.
+
+@item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
+This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
+
+@item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
+This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
+read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
+@end table
+
+@item nntp-server-action-alist
+@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
+This is an list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
+taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
+every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nntp-server-action-alist
+ '(("innd" (ding))))
+@end lisp
+
+You probably don't want to do that, though.
+
+The default value is
+
+@lisp
+ '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+@end lisp
+
+This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
+nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
+
+@item nntp-maximum-request
+@vindex nntp-maximum-request
+If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
+will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
+speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
+waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
+by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
+your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
+
+@item nntp-connection-timeout
+@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
+If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
+regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
+responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
+time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
+somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
+connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
+no timeouts are done.
+
+@item nntp-command-timeout
+@vindex nntp-command-timeout
+@cindex PPP connections
+@cindex dynamic IP addresses
+If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
+address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
+changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
+waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
+unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
+then, if it sits waiting longer than that number of seconds for a reply
+from the server, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
+the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
+likely number is 30 seconds.
+
+@item nntp-retry-on-break
+@vindex nntp-retry-on-break
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
+hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
+described above.
+
+@item nntp-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-hook
+This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
+server.
+
+@findex nntp-open-rlogin
+@findex nntp-open-network-stream
+@item nntp-open-server-function
+@vindex nntp-open-server-function
+This function is used to connect to the remote system. Two pre-made
+functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
+simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
+is @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an rlogin on the remote system,
+and then does a telnet to the @sc{nntp} server available there.
+
+@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
+If you use @code{nntp-open-rlogin} as the
+@code{nntp-open-server-function}, this list will be used as the
+parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
+
+@item nntp-end-of-line
+@vindex nntp-end-of-line
+String to use as end-of-line markers when talking to the @sc{nntp}
+server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
+using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
+
+@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
+User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
+function.
+
+@item nntp-address
+@vindex nntp-address
+The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@item nntp-port-number
+@vindex nntp-port-number
+Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
+connect function.
+
+@item nntp-buggy-select
+@vindex nntp-buggy-select
+Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+
+@item nntp-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
+If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
+variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
+can be used automatically.
+
+@item nntp-xover-commands
+@vindex nntp-xover-commands
+@cindex nov
+@cindex XOVER
+List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
+server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
+"XOVERVIEW")}.
+
+@item nntp-nov-gap
+@vindex nntp-nov-gap
+@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
+the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
+if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
+article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
+lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
+big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
+@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
+network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
+that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{nntp} will never split requests.
+
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@item nntp-async-number
+@vindex nntp-async-number
+How many articles should be pre-fetched when in asynchronous mode. If
+this variable is @code{t}, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch all the articles
+that it can without bound. If it is @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be
+made.
+
+@item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
+@vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
+server closes connection.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node News Spool
+@subsection News Spool
+@cindex nnspool
+@cindex news spool
+
+Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
+and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups like
+@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}.
+
+Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
+anything else) as the address.
+
+If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
+native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
+than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
+You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnspool-inews-program
+@vindex nnspool-inews-program
+Program used to post an article.
+
+@item nnspool-inews-switches
+@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
+Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
+
+@item nnspool-spool-directory
+@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+
+@item nnspool-nov-directory
+@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
+
+@item nnspool-lib-dir
+@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
+Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
+
+@item nnspool-active-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-file
+The path of the active file.
+
+@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
+The path of the group descriptions file.
+
+@item nnspool-history-file
+@vindex nnspool-history-file
+The path of the news history file.
+
+@item nnspool-active-times-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
+The path of the active date file.
+
+@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
+that it finds.
+
+@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@cindex sed
+If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
+relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
+load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Getting Mail
+@section Getting Mail
+@cindex reading mail
+@cindex mail
+
+Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
+course.
+
+@menu
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Getting Started Reading Mail
+@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
+
+It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
+mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
+and things will happen automatically.
+
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a one file per
+mail backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnml "private")))
+@end lisp
+
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
+articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
+directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
+be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
+like any other group.
+
+You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("other" "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in three new mail groups being created:
+@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
+mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
+latter group.
+
+This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
+give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though,
+especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+
+
+@node Splitting Mail
+@subsection Splitting Mail
+@cindex splitting mail
+@cindex mail splitting
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-methods
+The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
+to be split into groups.
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("mail.other" "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
+these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
+something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
+element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
+determine if it belongs in this mail group.
+
+If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
+that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
+extreme caution.
+
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
+argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
+mail belongs in that group.
+
+The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
+expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any
+mails that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps.
+
+If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
+function of your choice. This function will be called without any
+arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
+message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
+thinks should carry this mail message.
+
+Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent
+incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
+some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
+@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
+
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost
+The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
+@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
+
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
+@cindex crosspost
+@cindex links
+@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
+the crossposted articles. However, not all files systems support hard
+links. If that's the case for you, set
+@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
+variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
+
+Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
+yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
+all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
+unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
+boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
+that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
+come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
+you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
+month's rent money.
+
+
+@node Mail Backend Variables
+@subsection Mail Backend Variables
+
+These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
+mail backends.
+
+@table @code
+@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
+use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
+
+@vindex nnmail-spool-file
+@item nnmail-spool-file
+@cindex POP mail
+@cindex MAILHOST
+@cindex movemail
+@vindex nnmail-pop-password
+@vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
+The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
+@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
+themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
+@samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
+your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
+slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
+devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
+to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
+call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
+password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
+@code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
+@code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
+
+When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
+mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
+invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
+pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
+shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+
+@vindex nnmail-use-procmail
+@vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
+@item nnmail-use-procmail
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
+@code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
+that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
+will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
+mail.
+
+@vindex nnmail-crash-box
+@item nnmail-crash-box
+When the mail backends read a spool file, it is first moved to this
+file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
+already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
+other spool files.
+
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
+used for, well, anything, really.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-hook
+@item nnmail-split-hook
+@findex article-decode-rfc1522
+@findex RFC1522 decoding
+Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
+just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
+free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
+is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes perfromed
+in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{article-decode-rfc1522}
+is one likely function to add to this hook.
+
+@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
+mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
+starting to handle the new mail) and
+@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
+is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
+default file modes the new mail files get:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
+
+(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnmail-tmp-directory
+@vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
+This variable says where to move the incoming mail to while processing
+it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
+inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
+it will be used instead.
+
+@item nnmail-movemail-program
+@vindex nnmail-movemail-program
+This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
+directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
+
+@item nnmail-delete-incoming
+@vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
+@cindex incoming mail files
+@cindex deleting incoming files
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
+file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{nil} by
+default for reasons of security.
+
+Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
+(No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
+lost mail, I think, but that's not the point.) By not deleting the
+Incoming* files, one can be sure to not lose mail -- if Gnus totally
+whacks out, one can always recover what was lost.
+
+Delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
+
+@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
+@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
+names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories like
+@file{mail.misc/}. If it is @code{nil}, the same group will end up in
+@file{mail/misc/}.
+
+@item nnmail-delete-file-function
+@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
+@findex delete-file
+Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Fancy Mail Splitting
+@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex fancy mail splitting
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy
+If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
+doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
+play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+
+Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
+
+@lisp
+;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
+;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
+;; from real errors.
+(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
+ "mail.misc"))
+ ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
+ ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
+ ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
+ (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
+ ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
+ ;; Other mailing lists...
+ (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
+ (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
+ ;; People...
+ (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
+ "misc.misc"))")
+@end lisp
+
+This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
+recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
+the five possible split syntaxes:
+
+@table @dfn
+
+@item GROUP
+If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
+
+@item (FIELD VALUE SPLIT)
+If the split is a list, and the first element is a string, then that
+means that if header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp),
+then store the message as specified by SPLIT.
+
+@item (| SPLIT...)
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
+bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them matches. A SPLIT is
+said to match if it will cause the mail message to be stored in one or
+more groups.
+
+@item (& SPLIT...)
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then process
+all SPLITs in the list.
+
+@item junk
+Junk this article.
+@end table
+
+In these splits, FIELD must match a complete field name. VALUE must
+match a complete word according to the fundamental mode syntax table.
+You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial field names or
+words.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
+FIELD and VALUE can also be lisp symbols, in that case they are expanded
+as specified by the variable @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is
+an alist of cons cells, where the car of the cells contains the key, and
+the cdr contains a string.
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
+when all this splitting is performed.
+
+
+@node Mail and Procmail
+@subsection Mail and Procmail
+@cindex procmail
+
+@cindex slocal
+@cindex elm
+Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
+external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
+incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
+@code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
+backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
+
+This also means that you probably don't want to set
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
+side effects.
+
+When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
+with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
+out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
+@code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
+exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
+a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
+
+This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
+exist by hand.
+
+Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
+
+The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
+There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
+
+Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
+@samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
+twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
+to include all your mail groups.
+
+That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
+method will be created automatically.
+
+@vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
+@vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
+If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
+single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
+the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
+in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
+the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
+name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
+
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
+put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
+Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
+@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
+
+@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
+If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an @code{nnmh}
+directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
+@code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
+ever expiring the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is quite,
+quite important.
+
+
+@node Incorporating Old Mail
+@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+
+Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
+you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
+backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
+your mail groups.
+
+Doing so can be quite easy.
+
+To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
+satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
+file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
+your @code{nnml} groups.
+
+Here's how:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Go to the group buffer.
+
+@item
+Type `G f' and give the path of the mbox file when prompted to create an
+@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+
+@item
+Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
+
+@item
+Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group (@pxref{Setting
+Process Marks}).
+
+@item
+Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@end enumerate
+
+All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
+all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
+have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
+deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
+sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
+
+Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
+backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
+using the new mail backend.
+
+
+@node Expiring Mail
+@subsection Expiring Mail
+@cindex article expiry
+
+Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
+you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
+different approach to mail reading.
+
+Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
+a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
+actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
+mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
+fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
+Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
+course.
+
+To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
+disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
+deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
+more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
+will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
+repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
+NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+
+@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
+match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
+have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
+articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
+column in the summary buffer.
+
+Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
+articles you have read to disappear after a while:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+ "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
+@end lisp
+
+Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
+@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
+expirable article has to live. The default is seven days.
+
+Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
+are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
+have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
+expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
+everywhere else:
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+ (lambda (group)
+ (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
+ 31)
+ ((string= group "mail.junk")
+ 1)
+ ((string= group "important")
+ 'never)
+ (t
+ 6))))
+@end lisp
+
+The group names that this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
+names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
+
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can be either a number (not
+necessarily an integer) or the symbols @code{immediate} or
+@code{never}.
+
+You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
+change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
+If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
+expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
+easier for procmail users.
+
+@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
+By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
+articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
+parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
+articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
+caution. Even more dangerous is the
+@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
+this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
+which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
+will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
+crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
+wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
+@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
+with! So there!
+
+
+@node Duplicates
+@subsection Duplicates
+
+@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
+@cindex duplicate mails
+If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
+receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
+@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
+this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s -
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
+default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
+there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
+variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
+stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
+@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
+default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
+will generate a brand new @code{Message-ID} for the mail and insert a
+warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks that this is a
+duplicate of a different message.
+
+This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
+will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
+the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
+@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
+
+You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
+@code{nil}.
+
+If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
+@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
+methods:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
+ ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
+ (any mail "mail.misc")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [ ... ] ))
+@end lisp
+
+Or something like:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [...]))
+@end lisp
+
+Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
+with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
+@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
+using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
+received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
+
+
+@node Not Reading Mail
+@subsection Not Reading Mail
+
+If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
+habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
+be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
+
+If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
+will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
+
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
+happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
+file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
+variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
+the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
+group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+
+All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
+narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
+incoming mail.
+
+
+@node Choosing a Mail Backend
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
+
+Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
+file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
+depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
+
+@menu
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Unix Mail Box
+@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
+@cindex nnmbox
+@cindex unix mail box
+
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
+which group it belongs in.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox-mbox-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+
+@item nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+The name of the active file for the mail box.
+
+@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
+into groups.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Rmail Babyl
+@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
+@cindex nnbabyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
+
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
+mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
+article to say which group it belongs in.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The name of the rmail mbox file.
+
+@item nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+
+@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mail Spool
+@subsubsection Mail Spool
+@cindex nnml
+@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
+
+The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
+format. It should be used with some caution.
+
+@vindex nnml-directory
+If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
+one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
+directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
+variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+
+You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
+care of all that.
+
+If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
+in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
+own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
+weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
+having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
+shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
+know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
+to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
+splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
+@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
+backend when it comes to reading mail.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnml-directory
+@vindex nnml-directory
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+
+@item nnml-active-file
+@vindex nnml-active-file
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+
+@item nnml-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
+The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}.
+
+@item nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
+
+@item nnml-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+
+@item nnml-nov-file-name
+@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
+The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+
+@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+
+@end table
+
+@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
+If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
+you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
+nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
+entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
+might take a while to complete.
+
+
+@node MH Spool
+@subsubsection MH Spool
+@cindex nnmh
+@cindex mh-e mail spool
+
+@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
+@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
+@code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
+makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnmh-directory
+@vindex nnmh-directory
+All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
+
+@item nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+
+@item nnmh-be-safe
+@vindex nnmh-be-safe
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
+sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
+are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
+setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
+use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
+to set this variable to @code{t}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mail Folders
+@subsubsection Mail Folders
+@cindex nnfolder
+@cindex mbox folders
+@cindex mail folders
+
+@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
+file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
+will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
+dates.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnfolder-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-directory
+All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+
+@item nnfolder-active-file
+@vindex nnfolder-active-file
+The name of the active file.
+
+@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
+
+@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
+@end table
+
+@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
+@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
+If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
+@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
+command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
+@code{nnfolder-directory}.
+
+
+@node Other Sources
+@section Other Sources
+
+Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
+below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
+newsgroups.
+
+@menu
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Directory Groups
+@subsection Directory Groups
+@cindex nndir
+@cindex directory groups
+
+If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
+it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
+names, of course.
+
+This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
+wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
+didn't think much about it---a backend to read directories. Big deal.
+
+@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
+enter @file{"/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/"} as the the
+directory name, ange-ftp will actually allow you to read this directory
+over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
+
+@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+
+@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
+articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
+whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
+methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
+
+
+@node Anything Groups
+@subsection Anything Groups
+@cindex nneething
+
+From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
+directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
+pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
+true.
+
+When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
+directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
+a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
+After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
+forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
+snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
+the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
+If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (eg. a C source
+file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
+will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
+elements.
+
+All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
+with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
+newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
+in the article buffer, just as usual.
+
+If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
+a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
+traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
+Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
+
+There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
+doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
+will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
+are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
+normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
+article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
+other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
+be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
+
+Some variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nneething-map-file-directory
+@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
+All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
+in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+
+@item nneething-exclude-files
+@vindex nneething-exclude-files
+All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
+auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
+
+@item nneething-map-file
+@vindex nneething-map-file
+Name of the map files.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Document Groups
+@subsection Document Groups
+@cindex nndoc
+@cindex documentation group
+@cindex help group
+
+@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
+as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
+
+@table @code
+@cindex babyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
+
+@item babyl
+The babyl (rmail) mail box.
+@cindex mbox
+@cindex Unix mbox
+
+@item mbox
+The standard Unix mbox file.
+
+@cindex MMDF mail box
+@item mmdf
+The MMDF mail box format.
+
+@item news
+Several news articles appended into a file.
+
+@item rnews
+@cindex rnews batch files
+The rnews batch transport format.
+@cindex forwarded messages
+
+@item forward
+Forwarded articles.
+
+@item mime-digest
+@cindex digest
+@cindex MIME digest
+@cindex 1153 digest
+@cindex RFC 1153 digest
+@cindex RFC 341 digest
+MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
+
+@item standard-digest
+The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+
+@item slack-digest
+Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
+@end table
+
+You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
+that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
+@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
+file is.
+
+@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
+it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
+group. And that's it.
+
+If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
+new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
+that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
+to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
+@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
+(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
+the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
+using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
+file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
+delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
+
+Virtual server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nndoc-article-type
+@vindex nndoc-article-type
+This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
+@code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{news}, @code{rnews},
+@code{mime-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, or @code{guess}.
+
+@item nndoc-post-type
+@vindex nndoc-post-type
+This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
+a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
+and @code{news}.
+@end table
+
+@menu
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Document Server Internals
+@subsubsection Document Server Internals
+
+Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
+difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
+looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
+and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
+
+First, here's an example document type definition:
+
+@example
+(mmdf
+ (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
+ (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+@end example
+
+The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
+regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
+variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
+types can be defined with very few settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item first-article
+If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
+something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
+totally ignored.
+
+@item article-begin
+This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
+says what the beginning of each article looks like.
+
+@item head-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
+the article.
+
+@item nndoc-head-begin
+If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
+article.
+
+@item nndoc-head-end
+This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
+@samp{"^$"}---the empty line.
+
+@item body-begin-function
+If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
+of the article.
+
+@item body-begin
+This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
+to @samp{^\n}.
+
+@item body-end-function
+If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
+the article.
+
+@item body-end
+If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
+
+@item nndoc-file-end
+If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
+regexp will be totally ignored.
+
+@end table
+
+So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
+file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
+few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
+news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
+something that's palatable for Gnus:
+
+@table @code
+@item prepare-body-function
+If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
+will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
+document has encoded some parts of its contents.
+
+@item article-transform-function
+If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
+meant to be used how more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
+body of the article.
+
+@item generate-head-function
+If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
+understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
+expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
+called when requesting the headers of all articles.
+
+@end table
+
+Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
+digests:
+
+@example
+(standard-digest
+ (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
+ (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
+ (head-end . "^ ?$")
+ (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
+ (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
+ (subtype digest guess))
+@end example
+
+We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
+text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
+each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
+the head from the body may contain a single spcae; and that the body is
+run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
+
+To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
+@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
+the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
+the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
+traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for each
+type. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
+is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
+@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
+of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
+correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
+low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
+
+
+@node SOUP
+@subsection SOUP
+@cindex SOUP
+@cindex offline
+
+In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
+are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
+With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
+
+Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
+@code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
+transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
+newsreaders.
+
+However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
+easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
+that interested in doing things properly.
+
+A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
+and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
+fiddly.
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
+use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie, or you can use Gnus to create the
+packet with the @kbd{O s} command.
+
+@item
+You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
+
+@item
+You put the packet in your home directory.
+
+@item
+You fire up Gnus using the @code{nnsoup} backend as the native server.
+
+@item
+You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
+want.
+
+@item
+You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
+packet.
+
+@item
+You transfer this packet to the server.
+
+@item
+You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
+
+@item
+You then repeat until you die.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
+reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
+
+@menu
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node SOUP Commands
+@subsubsection SOUP Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G s b
+@kindex G s b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-brew-soup
+Pack all unread articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention.
+
+@item G s w
+@kindex G s w (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-save-areas
+Save all data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
+
+@item G s s
+@kindex G s s (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-send-replies
+Send all replies from the replies packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
+
+@item G s p
+@kindex G s p (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
+Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
+
+@item G s r
+@kindex G s r (Group)
+@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
+Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
+
+@item O s
+@kindex O s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-soup-add-article
+This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
+convention.
+
+@end table
+
+
+There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
+thingies:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-soup-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-directory
+Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
+@sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-replies-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
+This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
+reply packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-prefix-file
+@vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
+Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
+@samp{gnus-prefix}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packer
+@vindex gnus-soup-packer
+A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-unpacker
+@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
+Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
+@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node SOUP Groups
+@subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
+@cindex nnsoup
+
+@code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
+read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
+you can read them at leisure.
+
+These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnsoup-tmp-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
+When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
+directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
+
+@item nnsoup-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-directory
+@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
+The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
+
+@item nnsoup-replies-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
+All replies will stored in this directory before being packed into a
+reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
+
+@item nnsoup-replies-format-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
+The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
+(rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
+shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
+
+@item nnsoup-replies-index-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
+The index type of the replies packet. The is @samp{?n}, which means
+``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
+
+@item nnsoup-active-file
+@vindex nnsoup-active-file
+Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
+file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
+this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
+@file{~/SOUP/active}.
+
+@item nnsoup-packer
+@vindex nnsoup-packer
+Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
+is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
+
+@item nnsoup-unpacker
+@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
+default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+
+@item nnsoup-packet-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
+Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
+@file{~/}.
+
+@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
+@samp{Soupout}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node SOUP Replies
+@subsubsection SOUP Replies
+
+Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
+up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
+more for that to happen.
+
+@findex nnsoup-set-variables
+The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
+variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
+@sc{soup} system.
+
+In specific, this is what it does:
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
+@end lisp
+
+And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
+system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
+@sc{soup}ed you use the second.
+
+
+@node Web Searches
+@subsection Web Searches
+@cindex nnweb
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex Usenet searches
+@cindex searching the Usenet
+
+It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
+string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
+those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
+the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
+searches without having to use a browser.
+
+The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
+engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
+then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
+group. The @kbd{G n} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
+Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
+
+@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
+groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
+each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
+pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
+manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@code{Duplicate
+Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
+@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
+engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
+of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
+header---mark all articles that were posted before the last date you
+read the group as read.
+
+If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
+won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
+providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'etre} is to
+make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
+community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
+might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
+
+You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
+to use @code{nnweb}.
+
+Virtual server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnweb-type
+@vindex nnweb-type
+What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
+are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
+
+@item nnweb-search
+@vindex nnweb-search
+The search string to feed to the search engine.
+
+@item nnweb-max-hits
+@vindex nnweb-max-hits
+Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
+100.
+
+@item nnweb-type-definition
+@vindex nnweb-type-definition
+Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
+with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
+present:
+
+@table @code
+@item article
+Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
+understands.
+
+@item map
+Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
+
+@item search
+Function to send the search string to the search engine.
+
+@item address
+The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
+to.
+
+@item id
+Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
+@end table
+
+@end table
+
+
+
+@node Mail-To-News Gateways
+@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
+@cindex mail-to-news gateways
+@cindex gateways
+
+If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
+or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
+The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
+
+Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
+used to post with.
+
+Server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nngateway-address
+@vindex nngateway-address
+This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+
+@item nngateway-header-transformation
+@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
+News headers have often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
+for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
+transformation should be called, and defaults to
+@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
+narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
+gateway address.
+
+This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
+@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address---an article with this
+@code{Newsgroups} header:
+
+@example
+Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
+@end example
+
+will get this @code{From} header inserted:
+
+@example
+To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
+@end example
+
+@end table
+
+So, to use this, simply say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Combined Groups
+@section Combined Groups
+
+Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
+groups.
+
+@menu
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Virtual Groups
+@subsection Virtual Groups
+@cindex nnvirtual
+@cindex virtual groups
+
+An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
+other groups.
+
+For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
+put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
+big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
+
+You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
+regexp to match component groups.
+
+All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
+component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
+article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
+(And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
+the virtual group.)
+
+Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
+newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+
+@lisp
+(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+@end lisp
+
+The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
+smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+
+Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
+idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
+If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
+and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
+
+@example
+"^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
+@end example
+
+This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
+end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
+the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
+sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
+(@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
+
+One limitation, however---all groups that are included in a virtual
+group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
+zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+
+@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
+If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
+@code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
+entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
+group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
+will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
+effect if you have two virtual groups that contain the same component
+group. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
+Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
+you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
+
+
+@node Kibozed Groups
+@subsection Kibozed Groups
+@cindex nnkiboze
+@cindex kibozing
+
+@dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
+the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
+you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
+with useless requests! Oh happiness!
+
+@kindex G k (Group)
+To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
+buffer.
+
+The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
+@code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
+@code{nnkiboze} group. There most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
+and @code{nnvirtual} ends.
+
+In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
+must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
+the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
+
+@kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
+@findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
+You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
+@code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
+time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
+all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
+scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
+that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
+
+Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
+regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
+@sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
+Stranger things have happened.
+
+@code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
+and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
+
+@vindex nnkiboze-directory
+The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
+@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
+contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
+and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
+on what groups that have been searched through to find component
+articles.
+
+Articles that are marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have their
+@sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
+
+
+@node Scoring
+@chapter Scoring
+@cindex scoring
+
+Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
+scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
+something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
+attention!
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
+All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
+which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
+interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
+
+Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
+before generating the summary buffer.
+
+There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
+entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
+lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
+
+There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
+Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
+temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
+silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
+
+@menu
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus @emph{knows} what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Summary Score Commands
+@section Summary Score Commands
+@cindex score commands
+
+The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
+score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
+previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
+@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
+entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
+
+The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
+if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
+some other score file (eg. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
+score file the current one.
+
+General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item V s
+@kindex V s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-score
+Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
+
+@item V S
+@kindex V S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-current-score
+Display the score of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
+
+@item V t
+@kindex V t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-find-trace
+Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
+(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
+
+@item V R
+@cindex V R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescore
+Run the current summary through the scoring process
+(@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
+around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
+effect you're having.
+
+@item V a
+@kindex V a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-score-entry
+Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
+(@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
+
+@item V c
+@kindex V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
+Make a different score file the current
+(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
+
+@item V e
+@kindex V e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
+Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
+You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
+File Editing}).
+
+@item V f
+@kindex V f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-file
+Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
+
+@item V F
+@kindex V F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Flush the score cahe (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
+after editing score files.
+
+@item V C
+@kindex V C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-customize
+Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
+(@code{gnus-score-customize}).
+
+@item I C-i
+@kindex I C-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-raise-score
+Increase the score of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
+
+@item L C-l
+@kindex L C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
+Lower the score of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
+@end table
+
+The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item V m
+@kindex V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
+Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
+read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
+
+@item V x
+@kindex V x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
+Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
+expunge all articles below this score
+(@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
+@end table
+
+The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
+pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
+them.)
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
+or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
+@item
+The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
+keys are available:
+@table @kbd
+
+@item a
+Score on the author name.
+
+@item s
+Score on the subject line.
+
+@item x
+Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
+
+@item t
+Score on thread---the References line.
+
+@item d
+Score on the date.
+
+@item l
+Score on the number of lines.
+
+@item i
+Score on the Message-ID.
+
+@item f
+Score on followups.
+
+@item b
+Score on the body.
+
+@item h
+Score on the head.
+@end table
+
+@item
+The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
+what headers you are scoring on.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item strings
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item e
+Exact matching.
+
+@item s
+Substring matching.
+
+@item f
+Fuzzy matching.
+
+@item r
+Regexp matching
+@end table
+
+@item date
+@table @kbd
+
+@item b
+Before date.
+
+@item a
+At date.
+
+@item n
+This date.
+@end table
+
+@item number
+@table @kbd
+
+@item <
+Less than number.
+
+@item =
+Equal to number.
+
+@item >
+Greater than number.
+@end table
+@end table
+
+@item
+The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
+score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
+it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
+@table @kbd
+
+@item t
+Temporary score entry.
+
+@item p
+Permanent score entry.
+
+@item i
+Immediately scoring.
+@end table
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
+exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
+score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
+temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
+
+To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
+a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
+defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
+``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
+t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
+
+@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
+The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
+pretend they are keymaps or not.
+
+
+@node Group Score Commands
+@section Group Score Commands
+@cindex group score commands
+
+There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Group)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
+all the time. This command will flush the cache
+(@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Score Variables
+@section Score Variables
+@cindex score variables
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-use-scoring
+@vindex gnus-use-scoring
+If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
+general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
+
+@item gnus-kill-killed
+@vindex gnus-kill-killed
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
+articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
+may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
+to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
+group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
+variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
+
+@item gnus-kill-files-directory
+@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
+All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
+initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
+This is @file{~/News/} by default.
+
+@item gnus-score-file-suffix
+@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
+Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
+(@samp{SCORE} by default.)
+
+@item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
+@vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
+@cindex score cache
+All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
+score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
+bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files that are
+unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
+@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
+@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
+variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
+be cached.
+
+@item gnus-save-score
+@vindex gnus-save-score
+If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
+scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
+Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+
+@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
+score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
+ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
+We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
+manually entered data.
+
+@item gnus-summary-default-score
+@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
+Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
+
+@item gnus-score-over-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
+default. Default is @samp{+}.
+
+@item gnus-score-below-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
+default. Default is @samp{-}.
+
+@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
+is called with the name of the group as the argument.
+
+Predefined functions available are:
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-score-find-single
+@findex gnus-score-find-single
+Only apply the group's own score file.
+
+@item gnus-score-find-bnews
+@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
+Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
+default. For instance, if the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus},
+@file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
+@file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
+@samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
+then a regexp match is done.
+
+This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
+all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
+
+@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
+can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE} or @file{all.emacs.SCORE},
+but you can have @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and
+@file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
+
+@end table
+This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
+functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
+be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
+directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
+alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
+functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
+score file. Phu.
+
+@item gnus-score-expiry-days
+@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
+This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
+entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
+are expired. It's 7 by default.
+
+@item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
+@vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
+their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
+non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
+stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
+even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
+grim reaper.
+
+@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+Function called with the name of the score file just written.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Score File Format
+@section Score File Format
+@cindex score file format
+
+A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
+single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
+everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
+
+Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
+ ("Per Abrahamsen")
+ ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
+ ("subject"
+ ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
+ ("xref"
+ ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
+ ("lines"
+ (2 -100 nil <))
+ (mark 0)
+ (expunge -1000)
+ (mark-and-expunge -10)
+ (read-only nil)
+ (orphan -10)
+ (adapt t)
+ (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
+ (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
+ (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
+ (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
+ (eval (ding)))
+@end lisp
+
+This example demonstrates absolutely everything about a score file.
+
+Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
+@code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
+has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
+
+Six keys are supported by this alist:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item STRING
+If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
+match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
+@code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
+@code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
+these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
+article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
+will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
+perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
+perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
+last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
+final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
+entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
+to articles that matches these score entries.
+
+Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
+score entry has one to four elements.
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
+be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
+integer.
+
+@item
+If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
+element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
+interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
+is successful. If this element is not present, the
+@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
+instead. This is 1000 by default.
+
+@item
+If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
+element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
+which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
+element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
+represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 ce.
+
+@item
+If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
+element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
+whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
+be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
+@table @dfn
+
+@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
+For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
+well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
+@code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
+element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
+be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
+that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
+one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
+@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
+instead, if you feel like.
+
+@item Lines, Chars
+These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
+@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
+
+@item Date
+For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
+@code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
+ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
+this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
+Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
+sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
+quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
+
+A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
+date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
+ISO8601 compact format first, which looks like @samp{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS}.
+If you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
+every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
+for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
+this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
+the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
+whole family, eh?)
+
+@item Head, Body, All
+These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
+header uses.
+
+@item Followup
+This match key will add a score entry on all articles that followup to
+some author. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header uses.
+
+@item Thread
+This match key will add a score entry on all articles that are part of
+a thread. Uses the same match types as the @code{References} header
+uses.
+@end table
+@end enumerate
+
+@item mark
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read.
+
+@item expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
+
+@item mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
+summary buffer.
+
+@item thread-mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
+a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
+and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
+says how to compute the total score for a thread.
+
+@item files
+The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
+are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
+this one was.
+
+@item exclude-files
+The clue of this entry should be any number of files. This files will
+not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
+other.
+
+@item eval
+The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
+ignored when handling global score files.
+
+@item read-only
+Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
+should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
+
+@item orphan
+The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
+parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
+some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
+will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
+
+You can do this with the following two score file entries:
+
+@example
+ (orphan -500)
+ (mark-and-expunge -100)
+@end example
+
+When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
+threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
+interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
+rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
+interesting threads, plus any new threads.
+
+I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
+exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
+ordinary scoring rules.
+
+@item adapt
+This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
+default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
+adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
+list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
+or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
+adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
+scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
+not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
+groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
+insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
+it.
+
+@item adapt-file
+All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
+will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
+if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
+file for a number of groups.
+
+@item local
+@cindex local variables
+The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
+Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
+and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
+strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
+much.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Score File Editing
+@section Score File Editing
+
+You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
+might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
+with a mode for that.
+
+It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
+additional commands:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-c C-c
+@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-done
+Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
+
+@item C-c C-d
+@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
+Insert the current date in numerical format
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
+you were wondering.
+
+@item C-c C-p
+@kindex C-c C-p (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-pretty-print
+The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
+intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
+first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
+you.
+
+@end table
+
+Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
+
+@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
+
+In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
+e} to begin editing score files.
+
+
+@node Adaptive Scoring
+@section Adaptive Scoring
+@cindex adaptive scoring
+
+If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
+happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
+stupidity, to be precise.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
+When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
+article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
+these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
+You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
+words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
+@code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
+variable to @code{(word line)}.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
+the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
+might look something like this:
+
+@lisp
+(defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+ '((gnus-unread-mark)
+ (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
+ (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
+ (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
+ (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
+ (gnus-kill-file-mark)
+ (gnus-ancient-mark)
+ (gnus-low-score-mark)
+ (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
+@end lisp
+
+As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
+variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
+a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
+pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
+that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
+@code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
+entries.
+
+Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
+will be applied to each article.
+
+To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
+articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
+score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
+lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
+
+If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
+@code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
+That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
+should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
+
+The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
+@code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
+@code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
+@code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
+on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
+current article, thereby matching the following thread.
+
+You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
+articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
+@code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
+article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
+added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
+aspirins afterwards.)
+
+If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
+to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
+changes result in articles getting marked as read.
+
+After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
+become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
+the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
+
+You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
+by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
+let you use different rules in different groups.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
+The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
+group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
+is @samp{ADAPT}.
+
+@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
+When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
+give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
+matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
+the length of the match is less than
+@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
+this problem.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
+headers. If you adapt on words, the
+@code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
+each instance of a word should add given a mark.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+ `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
+ (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
+ (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
+ (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
+@end lisp
+
+This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
+word that appears in subjects of articles that are marked with
+@code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
+score with 30 points.
+
+@vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
+@vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
+Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
+will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
+@code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
+When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
+syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
+it considers numbers to be non-word-consituant characters.
+
+After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
+@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
+what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
+
+
+@node Home Score File
+@section Home Score File
+
+The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
+@dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
+for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
+
+However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
+a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
+could perhaps use the same home score file.
+
+@vindex gnus-home-score-file
+The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
+be:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
+groups.
+
+@item
+A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
+file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
+parameter.
+
+@item
+A list. The elements in this list can be:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
+the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
+
+@item
+A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
+the home score file.
+
+@item
+A string. Use the string as the home score file.
+@end enumerate
+
+The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
+for matches.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
+@end lisp
+
+If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
+@file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
+@end lisp
+
+This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
+
+If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
+another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
+their own home score files:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
+ '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
+ ;; All the comp groups in one score file
+ ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
+@code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
+is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
+specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
+
+In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
+presedence over this variable.
+
+
+@node Followups To Yourself
+@section Followups To Yourself
+
+Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
+the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
+this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
+articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
+respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
+to easily note when people answer what you've said.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-score-followup-article
+@findex gnus-score-followup-article
+This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
+article.
+
+@item gnus-score-followup-thread
+@findex gnus-score-followup-thread
+This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
+your own article.
+@end table
+
+@vindex message-sent-hook
+These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
+@code{message-sent-hook}.
+
+If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
+the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
+mine:
+
+@example
+<x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+<x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+@end example
+
+So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
+exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
+myself:
+
+@lisp
+("references"
+ "<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf@.*eyesore.no>" 1000 nil r)
+@end lisp
+
+Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
+is system-dependent.
+
+
+@node Scoring Tips
+@section Scoring Tips
+@cindex scoring tips
+
+@table @dfn
+
+@item Crossposts
+@cindex crossposts
+@cindex scoring crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
+the @code{Xref} header.
+@lisp
+("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
+@end lisp
+
+@item Multiple crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
+more than, say, 3 groups:
+@lisp
+("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
+@end lisp
+
+@item Matching on the body
+This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
+Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
+you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
+keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
+and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
+will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
+@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
+the matches.
+
+@item Marking as read
+You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
+number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
+in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
+@lisp
+((mark -100))
+@end lisp
+You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
+
+@item Negated character classes
+If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
+That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
+@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Reverse Scoring
+@section Reverse Scoring
+@cindex reverse scoring
+
+If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
+subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
+like this in your score file:
+
+@lisp
+(("subject"
+ ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
+ (mark 1)
+ (expunge 1))
+@end lisp
+
+So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
+rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
+
+
+@node Global Score Files
+@section Global Score Files
+@cindex global score files
+
+Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
+nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
+in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
+
+What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
+all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
+big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
+
+@vindex gnus-global-score-files
+All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
+@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
+or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
+files are applicable to which group.
+
+Say you want to use all score files in the
+@file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory and the single score
+file @file{/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE}:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-global-score-files
+ '("/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
+ "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
+Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
+directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
+If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
+use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
+
+Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
+somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
+
+If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
+just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
+world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
+wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
+sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
+premises! Yay! The net is saved!
+
+Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
+head:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
+@item
+To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
+@item
+Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
+@item
+Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
+lowered out of existence.
+@item
+Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
+articles completely.
+
+@item
+Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
+should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
+old articles for a long time.
+@end itemize
+
+... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
+in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
+Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
+holding our breath yet?
+
+
+@node Kill Files
+@section Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
+
+Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
+entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
+Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
+
+In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
+than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
+files into score files.
+
+Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
+forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
+sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
+that isn't a very good idea.
+
+XCNormal kill files look like this:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
+(gnus-expunge "X")
+@end lisp
+
+This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
+the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
+
+Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
+encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
+interpreting it.
-@node Setting Process Marks
-@subsection Setting Process Marks
-@cindex setting process marks
+Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
@table @kbd
-@item M P p
-@itemx #
-@kindex # (Summary)
-@kindex M P p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
-Mark the current article with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
-@item M P u
-@itemx M-#
-@kindex M P u (Summary)
-@kindex M-# (Summary)
-Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
-@item M P U
-@kindex M P U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
-Remove the process mark from all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
-@item M P R
-@kindex M P R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
-Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
-@item M P r
-@kindex M P r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
-Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
-@item M P t
-@kindex M P t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
-@item M P s
-@kindex M P s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
-Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
-@item M P S
-@kindex M P S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
-Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
-@item M P a
-@kindex M P a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
-Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
+
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
@end table
-@node Threading
-@section Threading
-@cindex threading
-@cindex article threading
+Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
-Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put replies to
-articles directly after the articles they reply to - in a hierarchical
-fashion.
+@table @kbd
-@menu
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
-@end menu
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
-@node Customizing Threading
-@subsection Customizing Threading
-@cindex customizing threading
-@cindex <
-@cindex >
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
+
+Kill file variables:
@table @code
-@item gnus-show-threads
-@vindex gnus-show-threads
-If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
-the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
-off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
-slower and more awkward.
-@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
-@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
-more old headers - headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
-would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
-connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
-to @code{some}. In either case, fetching old headers only works if the
-backend you are using carries overview files -- this would normally be
-@code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the
-root of the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus
-can do about that.
+@item gnus-kill-file-name
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
+A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
+@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
+this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
+The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
+course) is called just @file{KILL}.
-@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
-subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
-super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
-presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
-you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
-first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
-variable to a real low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
-everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
+@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+@item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
+kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
+kills.
-@cindex fuzzy article gathering
-If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
-use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects.
+@item gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file
+A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
+@code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
+kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
+hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
+kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
-@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
-@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
-and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
-Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
-read or killed the root in a previous session.
+@item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
-When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
-something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
-There are four possible values:
+@end table
-@cindex adopting articles
-@table @code
-@item adopt
-Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
-parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
-marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
-square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
-@item dummy
-Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
-parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
-selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
+@node GroupLens
+@section GroupLens
+@cindex GroupLens
+
+GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
+together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
+huge volume of news articles generated every day.
+
+To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
+articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
+likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
+article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
+rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
+Once it has found for you some people you agree with it tells you, in
+the form of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use
+this prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
article.
-@item empty
-Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
-subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
-use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Format}).)
-@item none
-Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
-display them after one another.
-@item nil
-Don't gather loose threads.
+
+@menu
+* Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
+* Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
+* Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
+* GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Using GroupLens
+@subsection Using GroupLens
+
+To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
+Bit Bureau (BBB). At the moment the only better bit in town is at
+@samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html}.
+
+Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-use-grouplens
+@vindex gnus-use-grouplens
+Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
+all the relevant GroupLens functions.
+
+@item grouplens-pseudonym
+@vindex grouplens-pseudonym
+This variable should be set to the pseudonum you got when registering
+with the Better Bit Bureau.
+
+@item grouplens-newsgroups
+@vindex grouplens-newsgroups
+A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
+
@end table
-@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
-generated.
-@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
-if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
-will be hidden.
-@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
-this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
-is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
-in a new thread.
-@item gnus-thread-indent-level
-@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
-This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
-The default is @samp{4}.
+Thats the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
+Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
+articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
+the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
+yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
+you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
+
+
+@node Rating Articles
+@subsection Rating Articles
+
+In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
+Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
+means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
+yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
+like this one?"
+
+There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item r
+@kindex r (GroupLens)
+@findex bbb-summary-rate-article
+This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
+
+@item k
+@kindex k (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-score-thread
+This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
+the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
+threads in rec.humor.
+
@end table
-@node Thread Commands
-@subsection Thread Commands
-@cindex thread commands
+The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
+the score of the article you're reading.
@table @kbd
-@item T k
-@itemx M-C-k
-@kindex T k (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
-Mark all articles in the current sub-thread as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
-remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
-articles instead.
-@item T l
-@itemx M-C-l
-@kindex T l (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
-Lower the score of the current thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
-@item T i
-@kindex T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
-Increase the score of the current thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
-@item T #
-@kindex T # (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Mark the current thread with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
-@item T T
-@kindex T T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
-Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
-@item T s
-@kindex T s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
-Expose the thread hidden under the current article, if any
-(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
-@item T h
-@kindex T h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
-Hide the current (sub)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
-@item T S
-@kindex T S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
-Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
-@item T H
-@kindex T H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
-Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
+
+@item 1-5 n
+@kindex n (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-next-unread-article
+Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
+
+@item 1-5 ,
+@kindex , (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-best-unread-article
+Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
+
@end table
-The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
-understand the numeric prefix.
+If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
+next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
+
+
+@node Displaying Predictions
+@subsection Displaying Predictions
+
+GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
+news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
+5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
+from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
+
+@vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
+There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
+choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
+regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
+people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
+the separate scoring behavior you need to set
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
+GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
+@code{'override} and to combine the scores set
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
+the combine option you will also want to set the values for
+@code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
+@code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
+
+@vindex grouplens-prediction-display
+In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
+to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
+controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
+
+The following are legal values for that variable.
+
+@table @code
+@item prediction-spot
+The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
+displayed.
+
+@item confidence-interval
+A numeric confidence interval.
+
+@item prediction-bar
+The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
+
+@item confidence-bar
+Numerical confidence.
+
+@item confidence-spot
+The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
+
+@item prediction-num
+Plain-old numeric value.
+
+@item confidence-plus-minus
+Prediction +/i confidence.
-@table @kbd
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
-Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
-@item T p
-@kindex T p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
-Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
-@item T d
-@kindex T d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
-Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
-@item T u
-@kindex T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
-Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
@end table
-@node Asynchronous Fetching
-@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
-@cindex asynchronous article fetching
-If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
-network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
-for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
-article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
-while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
+@node GroupLens Variables
+@subsection GroupLens Variables
-First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
-article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
+@table @code
-Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
-quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
-know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
-article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
-connection is blocked.
+@item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
+The summary line format used in summary buffers that are GroupLens
+enhanced. It accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format
+(@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). The default is
+@samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
-To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
-connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
-thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
-extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
+@item grouplens-bbb-host
+Host running the bbbd server. The default is
+@samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu}.
-Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
-the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
-loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
-also become more loaded - both with the extra article requests, and the
-extra connection.
+@item grouplens-bbb-port
+Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
-Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
-you really want to.
+@item grouplens-score-offset
+Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
+prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
+default is 0.
-@vindex gnus-asynchronous
-Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
-happen automatically.
+@item grouplens-score-scale-factor
+This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
+The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
-@vindex nntp-async-number
-You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
-@code{nntp-async-number}. This is five by default, which means that when
-you read an article in the group, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch the next
-five articles. If this variable is @code{t}, @code{nntp} will pre-fetch
-all the articles that it can without bound. If it is @code{nil}, no
-pre-fetching will be made.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-asynchronous-article-function
-You may wish to create some sort of scheme for choosing which articles
-that @code{nntp} should consider as candidates for pre-fetching. For
-instance, you may wish to pre-fetch all articles with high scores, and
-not pre-fetch low-scored articles. You can do that by setting the
-@code{gnus-asynchronous-article-function}, which will be called with an
-alist where the keys are the article numbers. Your function should
-return an alist where the articles you are not interested in have been
-removed. You could also do sorting on article score and the like.
-@node Article Caching
-@section Article Caching
-@cindex article caching
-@cindex caching
+@node Advanced Scoring
+@section Advanced Scoring
-If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
-consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
-locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
-potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
-your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
+Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
+really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
+about a particular subject? Or what about if you really don't want to
+read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
+want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
-Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
+By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
+scoring patterns.
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-@vindex gnus-cache-directory
-@vindex gnus-use-cache
-To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
-all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
-over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
-cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
+@menu
+* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
+* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
+* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
+@end menu
-When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
-cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
-expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
-keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
-as dormant, and don't worry.
-When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
+@node Advanced Scoring Syntax
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
-@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
-@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
-The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
-variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
-dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
-put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
-articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
-symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
-@code{unread} and @code{read}.
+Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
+Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
+element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
+non-@code{nil} value.
-@findex gnus-jog-cache
-So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
-picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
-subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
-the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
-your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
-and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
+These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
+operator, and various match operators.
+Logical operators:
-@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary exit
+@table @code
+@item &
+@itemx and
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
+evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
+@code{true}.
+
+@item |
+@itemx or
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
+then this operator will return @code{false}.
-Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
-group and return you to the group buffer.
+@item !
+@itemx not
+@itemx ¬
+This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
+inverse of the value of its argument.
-@table @kbd
-@item Z Z
-@itemx q
-@kindex Z Z (Summary)
-@kindex q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit
-@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
-Exit the current group and update all information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
-called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
-@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
-@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
-process.
-@item Z E
-@itemx Q
-@kindex Z E (Summary)
-@kindex Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
-Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
-@item Z c
-@itemx c
-@kindex Z c (Summary)
-@kindex c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
-Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
-@item Z C
-@kindex Z C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
-Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
-@item Z n
-@kindex Z n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
-Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
-@item Z R
-@kindex Z R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
-Exit this group, and then enter it again
-(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
-all articles, both read and unread.
-@item Z G
-@itemx M-g
-@kindex Z G (Summary)
-@kindex M-g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
-Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
-group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
-articles, both read and unread.
-@item Z N
-@kindex Z N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-group
-Exit the group and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
-@item Z P
-@kindex Z P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
-Exit the group and go to the previous group
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
@end table
-@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
-@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
-group.
+There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
+apply to the ancenstors of the current article being scored. For
+instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
+current article. @code{2-} will make score fules apply to the
+grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
+@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) say how far back into
+the ancestry you want to go.
-@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
-The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
-read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
-summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
-@code{t}, articles that are cross-referenced to this group and are
-marked as read, will also be marked as read in the other subscribed
-groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is neither
-@code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in both
-subscribed and unsubscribed groups.
+Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
+real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
+and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
+"Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
+simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
-Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
-read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
-posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
-several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
-by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
-heinous crime.
-Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
-separately to several groups is not.
+@node Advanced Scoring Examples
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
-One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
-correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
-(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
-does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
-Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
-even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
-articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
-them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
-the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
-the cross reference mechanism.
+Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
+when he's talking about Gnus:
-@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
-If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
-set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
-considerably.
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("subject" "Gnus"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+Quite simple, huh?
+
+When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (|
+ ("subject" "Gnus")
+ ("lines" 100 >)))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
+really don't want to read what he's written:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
+ -100000)
+@end example
+
+Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
+socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
+white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
+very interesting:
+
+@example
+((&
+ (1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
+ ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
+ (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ("body" "white.*socks"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+The possibilities are endless.
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Tips
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
+
+The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
+That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
+result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
+of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
+the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
+(@samp{body}, @code{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
+@samp{subject}) first.
+
+The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
+arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
+something like:
+
+@example
+...
+(1-
+ (1-
+ ("from" "lars")))
+...
+@end example
+
+Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
+current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
+
+@example
+(1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "Lars")
+ ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
+
+than it is to say:
+
+@example
+(&
+ (1- ("from" "Lars"))
+ (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
+
+
+@node Score Decays
+@section Score Decays
+@cindex score decays
+@cindex decays
+
+You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
+bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
+big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
+use them in any sensible way.
+
+@vindex gnus-decay-scores
+@findex gnus-decay-score
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-function
+Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
+When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
+non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
+mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
+The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
+function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
+definition of that function:
+
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
+ (floor
+ (- score
+ (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
+ (min score
+ (max gnus-score-decay-constant
+ (* (abs score)
+ gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
+@code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
+@code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
+
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
+
+@item
+Scores with magnutudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
+score.
+@end enumerate
+
+If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
+with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
+the new score, which should be an integer.
+
+Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
+four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
+
+
+@node Various
+@chapter Various
+
+@menu
+* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
+* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
+* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
+* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
+* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
+* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
+* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
+* Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
+* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
+* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
+@end menu
-C'est la vie.
@node Process/Prefix
@section Process/Prefix
negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
with the current one.
+@vindex transient-mark-mode
+If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
+active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
+
If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
process mark, perform the operation on the articles that are marked with
the process mark.
Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
are avoided.
-@node Saving Articles
-@section Saving Articles
-@cindex saving articles
-
-Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
-for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
-processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
-approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-
-@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
-If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
-unwanted headers before saving the article.
-
-@table @kbd
-@item O o
-@itemx o
-@kindex O o (Summary)
-@kindex o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article
-Save the current article using the default article saver
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
-@item O m
-@kindex O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
-Save the current article in mail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
-@item O r
-@kindex O r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
-Save the current article in rmail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
-@item O f
-@kindex O f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
-Save the current article in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
-@item O h
-@kindex O h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
-Save the current article in mh folder format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
-@item O p
-@kindex O p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
-Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is - Pipe
-the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
-@end table
-
-All these commands use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-
-@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
-You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
-Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
-functions below, or you can create your own.
+Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
+process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
+marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
+@kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@vindex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@vindex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@vindex gnus-summary-save-in-file
-Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
-the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@vindex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
-library.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-@vindex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
-reader to use this setting.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
+instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
+Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
+goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
+will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
+summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
+@code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
-All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
-in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
-@samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable.
-As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
-suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
-available functions that generate names:
+@node Interactive
+@section Interactive
+@cindex interaction
@table @code
-@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
-Generates file names that look like @samp{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-@item gnus-numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-Generates file names that look like @samp{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-@item gnus-Plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
-Generates file names that look like @samp{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@item gnus-plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-Generates file names that look like @samp{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@end table
-
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
-@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
-(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/}) - which means that
-the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
-all the files in the toplevel directory
-(@samp{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
-@samp{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.)
-
-This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
-is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
-names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
-@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
-contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
-for kill files.
-
-If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
-a spool, you could
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
-(setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
-@end lisp
-
-Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
-ephemeral @code{nneething} groups - @kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
-the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
-around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
-
-
-@node Decoding Articles
-@section Decoding Articles
-@cindex decoding articles
-Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
-encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
-
-@menu
-* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
-* Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
-* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
-* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
-* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
-@end menu
-
-All these functions use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
-the extension that a "single article" means "a single series". Gnus can
-find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
-articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
-
-Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
-simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
-last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
-
-For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
-will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
-([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
-
-Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
-series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
-commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @key{#}.
-
-@node Uuencoded Articles
-@subsection Uuencoded Articles
-@cindex uudecode
-@cindex uuencoded articles
-
-@table @kbd
-@item X u
-@kindex X u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
-Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
-@item X U
-@kindex X U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
-Uudecodes and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
-@item X v u
-@kindex X v u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
-Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
-@item X v U
-@kindex X v U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
-Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
-@end table
-
-Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
-the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to uncode and save an
-entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
-
-All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
-@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
-the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
-articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
-@kbd{X u}.
-
-Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
-@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
-@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
-automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
-you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
-off.
-
-@node Shared Articles
-@subsection Shared Articles
-@cindex unshar
-@cindex shared articles
-
-@table @kbd
-@item X s
-@kindex X s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
-Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
-@item X S
-@kindex X S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
-Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
-@item X v s
-@kindex X v s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
-Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
-@item X v S
-@kindex X v S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
-Unshars, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
-@end table
-
-@node PostScript Files
-@subsection PostScript Files
-@cindex PostScript
-
-@table @kbd
-@item X p
-@kindex X p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
-Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
-@item X P
-@kindex X P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
-Unpack and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
-@item X v p
-@kindex X v p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
-View the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
-@item X v P
-@kindex X v P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
-View and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
-@end table
+@item gnus-novice-user
+@vindex gnus-novice-user
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
+World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
+really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
+to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
+default.
-@node Decoding Variables
-@subsection Decoding Variables
+@item gnus-expert-user
+@vindex gnus-expert-user
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
+questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
+matter how strange.
-Adjective, not verb.
+@item gnus-interactive-catchup
+@vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
+Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
+is @code{t} by default.
-@menu
-* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
-* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
-* Uuencoding & Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
-@end menu
+@item gnus-interactive-exit
+@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
+Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+@end table
-@node Rule Variables
-@subsubsection Rule Variables
-@cindex rule variables
-Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
-variables are on the form
-
-@lisp
- (list '(regexp1 command2)
- '(regexp2 command2)
- ...)
-@end lisp
+@node Formatting Variables
+@section Formatting Variables
+@cindex formatting variables
-@table @code
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
-for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
-say something like:
-@lisp
- (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
- (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
-@end lisp
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
-user and default view rules.
-@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
-archives.
-@end table
+Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables that
+are called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
+output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
+Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
+be annoyed by.
-@node Other Decode Variables
-@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
+Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
+%(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
+lots of percentages everywhere.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
+@menu
+* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
+* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
+* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
+* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
+@end menu
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
-Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
-@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
-kludgey.
+Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
+@code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
+@code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
-@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
+All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
+case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
-@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
-looking for files to display.
+@kindex M-x gnus-update-format
+@findex gnus-update-format
+Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
+specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
+update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
+examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
-@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
-Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
-after viewing it.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
-rules.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
-unpacking commands.
+@node Formatting Basics
+@subsection Formatting Basics
-@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
-from articles.
+Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
+buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
+spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
-@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
-unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
+As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
+modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
+@dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
+@samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
+padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
+the right instead.
-@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
-uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
+You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
+particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
+means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
+less than 4 characters wide.
-@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
-commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
-content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
-@code{metamail} for viewing.
-@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
-decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
-embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153 - no easy way
-to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
-simply dropped them.
+@node Advanced Formatting
+@subsection Advanced Formatting
-@end table
+It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
+Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
+be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
+look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
-@node Uuencoding & Posting
-@subsubsection Uuencoding & Posting
+These are the legal modifiers:
@table @code
+@item pad
+@itemx pad-left
+Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
+length.
-@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
-before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
-either include an encoded file with @key{C-c C-i} or have one included
-for you when you post the article.
+@item pad-right
+Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
+length.
-@item gnus-uu-post-length
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
-Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
-many articles it takes to post the entire file.
+@item max
+@itemx max-left
+Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
-@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
-thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
-to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
-seen one package that does that - @code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
-think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
+@item max-right
+Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
+length.
-@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
-article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
-variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
-at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
-Default is @code{t}.
+@item cut
+@itemx cut-left
+Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
+
+@item cut-right
+Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
+@item ignore
+Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
+
+@item form
+Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
+used.
@end table
-@node Viewing Files
-@subsection Viewing Files
-@cindex viewing files
-@cindex pseudo-articles
+Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
+will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
+This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
+the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
+@samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
+maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
+than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
+
+Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
+last operation, padding.
+
+If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
+quite slow. This can be helped enourmously by running @kbd{M-x
+gnus-compile} when you are setisfied with the look of your lines.
+@xref{Compilation}.
+
+
+@node User-Defined Specs
+@subsection User-Defined Specs
+
+All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
+The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
+will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
+@samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
+a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
+it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
+be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
+specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
+should protect against that.
+
+You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
+much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
+@samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
+given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
+inserted.
+
+
+@node Formatting Fonts
+@subsection Formatting Fonts
+
+There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
+variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
+the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
+highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
+over it.
+
+Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
+normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
+default. If you say @samp{%1[} instead, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1}
+instead, and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes
+for the @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
+@samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
+
+Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
-After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
-to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
-viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
-containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
-uncompress and detar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
-This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
-of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+@lisp
+;; Create three face types.
+(setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
+(setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
+
+;; We want the article count to be in
+;; a bold and green face. So we create
+;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
+(copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
+;; Set the color.
+(set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
+(setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
+
+;; Set the new & fancy format.
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
+@end lisp
-Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
-extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these "articles",
-you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus will make a
-suggestion), and then the command will be run.
+I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
+and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
-until the viewing is done before proceeding.
+Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
+mode-line variables.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
-the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
-immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
-be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
-pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
-@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
-a list of parameters to that command.
+@node Windows Configuration
+@section Windows Configuration
+@cindex windows configuration
-So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
-@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
-Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
+No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
-@node Various Article Stuff
-@section Various Article Stuff
+@vindex gnus-use-full-window
+If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
+other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
+@code{t} by default.
-@table @kbd
-@item W l
-@kindex W l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
-Remove page breaks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
-@item A s
-@kindex A s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
-Perform an isearch in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
-@item W r
-@kindex W r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
-Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
-@item A g
-@kindex A g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-article
-(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
-given a prefix, don't actually refetch any articles, just jump to the
-current article and configure the windows to display the current
-article.
-@item W t
-@kindex W t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
-@item W m
-@kindex W m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
-Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
+@code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
+buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
+
+@lisp
+((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
+ (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
+ (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
-There's a battery of commands for washing the article buffer:
+This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
+other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
+configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
+possible names is listed below.
-@table @kbd
-@item W W h
-@kindex W W h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
-Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}).
-@item W W s
-@kindex W W s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
-Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}).
-@item W W c
-@kindex W W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
-Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}).
-@item W o
-@kindex W o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
-Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
-@item W w
-@kindex W w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-word-wrap
-Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-word-wrap}).
-@item W c
-@kindex W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
-Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
-@item W q
-@kindex W q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
-@item W f
-@kindex W f (Summary)
-@cindex x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
-Look for and display any X-Face headers
-(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
-function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If
-this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell.
-If it is a function, this function will be called with the face as the
-argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp)
-matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
+The @dfn{value} (i. e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
+should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
-@item W H a
-@kindex W H a
-@findex gnus-article-highlight
-Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
+@lisp
+(article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0)))
+@end lisp
-@item W H h
-@kindex W H h
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
-Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}).
+This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
+half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
+you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
+reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
+@code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
+rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
+whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
+size spec per split.
-@item W H c
-@kindex W H c
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
-Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
+Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
+@code{point}.
-@item W H s
-@kindex W H s
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
-Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
+Here's a more complicated example:
-@item W T u
-@kindex W T u
-@findex gnus-article-date-ut
-Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
-(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
+@lisp
+(article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
+ (article 1.0)))
+@end lisp
-@item W T l
-@kindex W T l
-@findex gnus-article-date-local
-Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
+If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
+then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
+occupy, not a percentage.
-@item W T e
-@kindex W T e
-@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
-Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
-(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
+If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
+precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
+split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
+be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
+@code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
+is non-@code{nil}.
+Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(article (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 0.5
+ (group 1.0)
+ (gnus-carpal 4))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (summary-carpal 4)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
-@node Summary Sorting
-@section Summary Sorting
-@cindex summary sorting
+Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
+@code{horizontal} thingie?
-You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
-can't really see why you'd want that.
+If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
+split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
+Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
+fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
+the screen is to be given to this strip.
-@table @kbd
-@item C-c C-s C-n
-@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
-Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
-@item C-c C-s C-a
-@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
-Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
-@item C-c C-s C-s
-@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
-Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
-@item C-c C-s C-d
-@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
-Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
-@item C-c C-s C-i
-@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
-Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
-@end table
+For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
+The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
+lines from the splits.
-These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
-use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
-line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
-root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
-toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
-Commands}).
+To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
+may look like:
-@node Finding the Parent
-@section Finding the Parent
-@cindex parent articles
-@cindex referring articles
+@example
+split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
+frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
+horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
+vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
+buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
+size = number | frame-params
+buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
+@end example
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
-@kindex ^ (Summary)
-If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
-displayed in the article buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
-if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
-and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
-can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
-you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
-summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
+The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
+top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
+return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
+may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
+
+@vindex gnus-window-min-width
+@vindex gnus-window-min-height
+@cindex window height
+@cindex window width
+Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
+than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
+windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
+characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
+splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
+you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
+
+If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
+@code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
+Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
+windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
+
+@findex gnus-configure-frame
+If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
+@code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
+that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
+nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
+three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
+@code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
+look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
+Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
+@code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
+configuration list.
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
-@kindex M-^ (Summary)
-You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
-matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
-@code{Message-Id}, which is one of those long thingies that look
-something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You have to get
-it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+@lisp
+(gnus-configure-frame
+ '(horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 10
+ (group 1.0)
+ (article 0.3 point))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (article 1.0)
+ (horizontal 4
+ (group 1.0)
+ (article 10)))))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
-If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
-support fetching by @code{Message-Id} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
-you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
-would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
-as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
-not really necessary.
+You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
+@code{frame} split:
-@node Score Files
-@section Score Files
-@cindex score files
+@lisp
+(gnus-configure-frame
+ '(frame 1.0
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0))
+ (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
+ (user-position . t)
+ (left . -1) (top . 1))
+ (picon 1.0))))
-Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
-scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
-something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
-attention!
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
-All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}).
-This score may be raised or lowered either interactively or by score
-files. Articles that have a score lower than
-@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
+This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
+configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
+frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
+instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
+should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
+@xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
+Reference Manual}.
-Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
-before generating the summary buffer.
+Here's a list of all possible keys for
+@code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
-There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
-entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
-lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
+@code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
+@code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
+@code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
+@code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
+@code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft},
+@code{pipe}, @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}.
-There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
-Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
-temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
-silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
+Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
+@code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
+it is desireable to distinguish between the two, something like this
+might be used:
-@menu
-* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score commands to the score file.
-* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
-* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
-* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
-* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus *knows* what you read.
-* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
-* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
-* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
-* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
-@end menu
+@lisp
+(message (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
+ (vertical 0.24
+ (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
+ '(summary 0.5))
+ (group 1.0)))))
+@end lisp
-@node Summary Score Commands
-@subsection Summary Score Commands
-@cindex score commands
+@findex gnus-add-configuration
+Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
+complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
+of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
+you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
-The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
-score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
-previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
-@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
-entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
+@lisp
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article (vertical 1.0
+ (group 4)
+ (summary .25 point)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
-The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
-if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
-some other score file (eg. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
-score file the current one.
+You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
+@file{.gnus} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
+Gnus has been loaded.
-General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
-@table @kbd
-@item V s
-@kindex V s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-set-score
-Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
-@item V S
-@kindex V S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-current-score
-Display the score of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
-@item V t
-@kindex V t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-find-trace
-Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
-(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
-@item V a
-@kindex V a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-score-entry
-Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
-(@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
-@item V c
-@kindex V c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
-Make a different score file the current
-(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
-@item V e
-@kindex V e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-alist
-Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-alist}). You will be
-popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File
-Editing}).
-@item V f
-@kindex V f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-file
-Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
-@item I C-i
-@kindex I C-i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-raise-score
-Increase the score of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
-@item L C-l
-@kindex L C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
-Lower the score of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
-@end table
+@node Compilation
+@section Compilation
+@cindex compilation
+@cindex byte-compilation
-The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
+@findex gnus-compile
-@table @kbd
-@item V m
-@kindex V m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
-Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
-read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
-@item V E
-@kindex V E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
-Expunge all articles with a score below the default score (or the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
-@end table
+Remember all those line format specification variables?
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
+on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
+unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
+(The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
+associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
+course.)
-The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
-pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
-them.)
+To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
+fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
+satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
+you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
+@file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
+this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
+them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
-@enumerate
-@item
-The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
-or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
-@item
-The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
-keys are available:
-@table @kbd
-@item a
-Score on the author name.
-@item s
-Score on the subject line.
-@item x
-Score on the Xref line - i.e., the cross-posting line.
-@item t
-Score on thread - the References line.
-@item d
-Score on the date.
-@item l
-Score on the number of lines.
-@item i
-Score on the Message-ID.
-@item f
-Score on followups.
-@item b
-Score on the body.
-@item h
-Score on the head.
-@end table
-@item
-The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
-what headers you are scoring on.
+@node Mode Lines
+@section Mode Lines
+@cindex mode lines
-@table @code
-@item strings
+@vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
+@code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
+lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
+@code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
+@code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
+Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
+pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
+quicker.
-@table @kbd
-@item e
-Exact matching.
-@item s
-Substring matching.
-@item f
-Fuzzy matching.
-@item r
-Regexp matching
-@end table
+@cindex display-time
-@item date
-@table @kbd
-@item b
-Before date.
-@item a
-At date.
-@item n
-This date.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
+By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
+lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
+to display (eg. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
+mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
+@code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
+elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
+additional elements on the mode line (eg. a clock), you should modify
+this variable:
-@item number
-@table @kbd
-@item <
-Less than number.
-@item =
-Equal to number.
-@item >
-Greater than number.
-@end table
-@end table
+@c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'display-time-hook
+ (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
+ (+ 21
+ (if line-number-mode 5 0)
+ (if column-number-mode 4 0)
+ (length display-time-string)))))
+@end lisp
-@item
-The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
-score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
-it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
-@table @kbd
-@item t
-Temporary score entry.
-@item p
-Permanent score entry.
-@item i
-Immediately scoring.
+If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
+strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either.
+
+
+@node Highlighting and Menus
+@section Highlighting and Menus
+@cindex visual
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex menus
+
+@vindex gnus-visual
+The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the prettifying Gnus
+aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
+colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
+file.
+
+This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
+following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
+
+@table @code
+@item group-highlight
+Do highlights in the group buffer.
+@item summary-highlight
+Do highlights in the summary buffer.
+@item article-highlight
+Do highlights in the article buffer.
+@item highlight
+Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
+@item group-menu
+Create menus in the group buffer.
+@item summary-menu
+Create menus in the summary buffers.
+@item article-menu
+Create menus in the article buffer.
+@item browse-menu
+Create menus in the browse buffer.
+@item server-menu
+Create menus in the server buffer.
+@item score-menu
+Create menus in the score buffers.
+@item menu
+Create menus in all buffers.
@end table
-@end enumerate
+So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
+buffers, you could say something like:
-So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
-exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
-score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
-temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
+@end lisp
-To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
-a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
-defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
-"substring" and "temporary". So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s t},
-and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
+If you want only highlighting and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
-@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
-The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
-pretend they are keymaps or not.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
+@end lisp
-@node Score Variables
-@subsection Score Variables
-@cindex score variables
+If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
+in all Gnus buffers.
+
+Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
@table @code
-@item gnus-use-scoring
-@vindex gnus-use-scoring
-If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
-general, do any score-related work.
-@item gnus-kill-killed
-@vindex gnus-kill-killed
-If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
-articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
-may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
-to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
-group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
-variable to @code{t} to do that.
-@item gnus-kill-files-directory
-@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
-All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
-initialized from the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
-@item gnus-score-file-suffix
-@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
-Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
-(@samp{SCORE} by default.)
-@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
-@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
-Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
-score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
-ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
-We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
-manually entered data.
-@item gnus-summary-default-score
-@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
-Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
-@item gnus-score-over-mark
-@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
-Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
-default. Default is @samp{+}.
-@item gnus-score-below-mark
-@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
-Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
-default. Default is @samp{-}.
-@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
-@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
-Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
-is called with the name of the group as the argument.
+@item gnus-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-mouse-face
+This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
+mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-display-type
+@vindex gnus-display-type
+This variable is symbol indicating the display type Emacs is running
+under. The symbol should be one of @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
+@code{mono}. If Gnus guesses this display attribute wrongly, either set
+this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or set the resource
+@code{Emacs.displayType} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
+
+@item gnus-background-mode
+@vindex gnus-background-mode
+This is a symbol indicating the Emacs background brightness. The symbol
+should be one of @code{light} or @code{dark}. If Gnus guesses this
+frame attribute wrongly, either set this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or
+set the resource @code{Emacs.backgroundMode} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
+`gnus-display-type'.
+@end table
+
+There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
-Predefined functions available are:
@table @code
-@item gnus-score-find-single
-@findex gnus-score-find-single
-Only apply the group's own score file.
+@item gnus-article-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
-@item gnus-score-find-bnews
-@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
-Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. For instance, if
-the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, @samp{all.emacs.all.SCORE},
-@samp{not.alt.all.SCORE} and @samp{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In
-short, the instances of @samp{all} in the score file names are
-translated into @samp{.*}, and then a regexp match is done.
+@item gnus-group-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
-If @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} is non-@code{nil}, this won't work
-very will. It will find stuff like @file{gnu/all/SCORE}, but will not
-find files like @file{not/gnu/all/SCORE}.
+@item gnus-summary-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
-@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
-@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
-Apply all score files from all the parent groups.
-@end table
-This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
-functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
-be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
-directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
-alists should probably be placed before the "real" score file functions,
-to ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
-Phu.
-@item gnus-score-expiry-days
-@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
-This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
-entry is expired. The default is 7.
-@end table
+@item gnus-server-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
-@node Score File Format
-@subsection Score File Format
-@cindex score file format
+@item gnus-browse-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
-A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
-single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
-everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
+@item gnus-score-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
-Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
- ("Per Abrahamsen")
- ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
- ("subject"
- ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
- ("xref"
- ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
- ("lines"
- (2 -100 nil <))
- (mark 0)
- (expunge -1000)
- (mark-and-expunge -10)
- (read-only nil)
- (orphan -10)
- (adapt t)
- (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
- (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
- (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
- (eval (ding)))
-@end lisp
-This example demonstrates absolutely everything about a score file.
+@node Buttons
+@section Buttons
+@cindex buttons
+@cindex mouse
+@cindex click
-Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
-@code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
-has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
+Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
+young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
+these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
+using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
+machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
+
+Right.
+
+@vindex gnus-carpal
+Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
+do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
+really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
-Six keys are supported by this alist:
@table @code
-@item STRING
-If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
-match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
-@samp{From}, @samp{Subject}, @samp{References}, @samp{Message-ID},
-@samp{Xref}, @samp{Lines}, @samp{Chars} and @samp{Date}. In addition to
-these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
-article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @samp{Body}
-will perform the match on the body of the article, @samp{Head} will
-perform the match on the head of the article, and @samp{All} will
-perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
-last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}.
-Following this key is a random number of score entries, where each score
-entry has one to four elements.
-@enumerate
-@item
-The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
-be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
-integer.
-@item
-If the second element is present, it should be a number - the @dfn{score
-element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
-interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
-is successful. If this element is not present, the
-@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used instead.
-@item
-If the third element is present, it should be a number - the @dfn{date
-element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
-which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
-element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
-represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 ce.
-@item
-If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol - the @dfn{type
-element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
-whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
-be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
-@table @dfn
-@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
-For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp) as
-well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types and @code{e} and
-@code{E} (exact match) types. If this element is not present, Gnus will
-assume that substring matching should be used. @code{R} and @code{S}
-differ from the other two in that the matches will be done in a
-case-sensitive manner. All these one-letter types are really just
-abbreviations for the @code{regexp}, @code{string} and @code{exact}
-types, which you can use instead, if you feel like.
-@item Lines, Chars
-These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
-@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
-@item Date
-For the Date header we have three match types: @code{before}, @code{at}
-and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this ever being useful, but,
-like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide this function. Just in
-case. You never know. Better safe than sorry. Once burnt, twice shy.
-Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have sex on a first date.
-@item Head, Body, All
-These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
-header uses.
-@item Followup
-This match key will add a score entry on all articles that followup to
-some author. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header uses.
-@end table
-@end enumerate
+@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
-@item mark
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be marked as read.
-@item expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
-@item mark-and-expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
-summary buffer.
-@item files
-The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
-are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
-this one was.
-@item exclude-files
-The clue of this entry should be any number of files. This files will
-not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
-other.
-@item eval
-The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
-ignored when handling global score files.
-@item read-only
-Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
-should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
-@item orphan
-The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
-parents will get this number added to their scores.
-@item adapt
-This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
-default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
-adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
-list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
-or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
-adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
-scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
-@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
-not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
-groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
-insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
-it.
-@item local
-@cindex local variables
-The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
-Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
-and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
-strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
-much.
+@item gnus-carpal-button-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-header-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
+Face used on carpal buffer headers.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the group buffer.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the summary buffer.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the server buffer.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the browse buffer.
@end table
-@node Score File Editing
-@subsection Score File Editing
+All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
+is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
+the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
-You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
-might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
-with a mode for that.
-It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
-additional commands:
+@node Daemons
+@section Daemons
+@cindex demons
+@cindex daemons
-@table @kbd
-@item C-c C-c
-@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-done
-Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
-@item C-c C-d
-@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
-Insert the current date in numerical format
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
-you were wondering.
-@end table
+Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
+of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
+present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
+while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
+when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
-@node Adaptive Scoring
-@subsection Adaptive Scoring
-@cindex adaptive scoring
+Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
+@dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
+@var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
-If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
-happen automatically - as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
-stupidity, to be precise.
+Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
+been idle for thirty minutes:
-@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
-When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
-article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
-these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
-You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
-@code{t}.
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
-To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
-the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. By default, it
-looks something like this:
+Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
+idle:
@lisp
-(defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
- '((gnus-unread-mark)
- (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
- (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
- (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
- (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
- (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
- (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
- (gnus-kill-file-mark)
- (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
+(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
@end lisp
-As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
-variable name or a "real" mark - a character). Following this key is a
-random number of header/score pairs.
+This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter works together
+in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
+@code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
-To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example - this alist says that all
-articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
-score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
-lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
+If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
+@var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
+the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
+function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
-If you use this scheme, you should set @code{mark-below} to something
-small - like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random changes result
-in articles getting marked as read.
+If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
+be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
+@var{idle} minutes.
-After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
-become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
-the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
+If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
+will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
+minutes.
-You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
-by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
-let you use different rules in different groups.
+And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
+the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
+time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
-The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
-group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended.
+@vindex gnus-demon-timestep
+(When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
+seconds. This is @code{60} by default. If you change that variable,
+all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
-@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
-When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
-give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
-matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
-the length of the match is less than
-@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
-this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
-this problem.
+@vindex gnus-use-demon
+To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
+@code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
-@node Scoring Tips
-@subsection Scoring Tips
-@cindex scoring tips
+So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
+your @file{.gnus} file:
-@table @dfn
-@item Crossposts
-If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
-the @code{Xref} header.
+@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
@lisp
-("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
+(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
@end lisp
-@item Multiple crossposts
-If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
-more than, say, 3 groups:
+
+@findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
+@findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
+@findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
+Some ready-made functions to do this has been created:
+@code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection}, and
+@code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
+@file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
+
+@findex gnus-demon-init
+@findex gnus-demon-cancel
+@vindex gnus-demon-handlers
+If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
+run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
+daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
+
+Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
+functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
+is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
+behave.
+
+
+@node NoCeM
+@section NoCeM
+@cindex nocem
+@cindex spam
+
+@dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
+Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
+
+Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
+agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
+NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
+implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
+away.
+
+What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
+Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
+from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
+messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
+
+Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
+this will make spam disappear.
+
+There are some variables to customize, of course:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-use-nocem
+@vindex gnus-use-nocem
+Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
+by default.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-groups
+@vindex gnus-nocem-groups
+Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
+default is @code{("alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-issuers
+@vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
+There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
+people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
+"clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
+(Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
+
+Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
+
+@table @samp
+@item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
+@cindex Chris Lewis
+Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
+usenet abuse than anybody else.
+
+@item Automoose-1
+@cindex CancelMoose[tm]
+The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
+Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
+
+@item jem@@xpat.com;
+@cindex Jem
+Jem---Korean despammer who is getting very busy these days.
+
+@item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
+Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
+postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
+@end table
+
+You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
+ones you want to listen to.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-directory
+@vindex gnus-nocem-directory
+This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
+@file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
+
+@item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
+@vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
+The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
+The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
+might then see old spam.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Picons
+@section Picons
+
+So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
+good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
+over your shoulder as you read news.
+
+@menu
+* Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
+* Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
+* Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
+* Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
+* Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Picon Basics
+@subsection Picon Basics
+
+What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site
+(@samp{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}):
+
+@quotation
+@dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
+constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
+organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
+e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
+databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
+in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
+@code{GIF} formats.
+@end quotation
+
+Please see the above mentioned web site for instructions on obtaining
+and installing the picons databases, or the following ftp site:
+@samp{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
+
+@vindex gnus-picons-database
+Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
+@code{gnus-picons-database}.
+
+
+@node Picon Requirements
+@subsection Picon Requirements
+
+To use have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
+19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
+display images.
+
+Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
+
+@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
+If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
+the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
+@code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
+
+
+@node Easy Picons
+@subsection Easy Picons
+
+To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
+@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
+
@lisp
-("xref" (" +[^ ]+:[0-9]+ +[^ ]+:[0-9]+ +[^ ]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
+(setq gnus-use-picons t)
+(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
+(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
@end lisp
-@item Matching on the body
-This is generally not a very good idea - it takes a very long time.
-Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
-you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
-keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
-and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
-will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
-@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
-the matches.
-@item Marking as read
-You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
-number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
-in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
+
+
+@node Hard Picons
+@subsection Hard Picons
+
+Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
+articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
+database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
+author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
+feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-picons-display-where
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
+Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
+default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
+valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
+@samp{"*scratch*"} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
+buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
+routines---@xref{Windows Configuration}.
+
+@end table
+
+Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
+window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
+
+Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
+functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
+displayed at the right time.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
+@table @code
+@item gnus-article-display-picons
+@findex gnus-article-display-picons
+Looks up and display the picons for the author and the author's domain
+in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to
+the @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
+
+@item gnus-group-display-picons
+@findex gnus-article-display-picons
+Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
+be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
+@code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
+is set to @code{article}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-picons
+Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
+should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
+
+@end table
+
+Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
+to the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
+
@lisp
-((mark -100))
+(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
@end lisp
-You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
-@item Negated charater classes
-If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
-That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
-@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
+
+@node Picon Configuration
+@subsection Picon Configuration
+
+The following variables offer further control over how things are
+done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
+don't need to worry about.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-picons-database
+@vindex gnus-picons-database
+The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
+containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
+subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-news-directory
+@vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
+Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
+newsgroups.
+
+@item gnus-picons-user-directories
+@vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
+faces. Defaults to @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc/MISC")}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-domain-directories
+@vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
+domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
+want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
+
+@item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
+@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
+The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
+(@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
+Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
+gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
+
+@item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
+@vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
+Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
+to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
+
+@item gnus-picons-buffer
+@vindex gnus-picons-buffer
+The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
+@samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
+
@end table
-@node Reverse Scoring
-@subsection Reverse Scoring
-@cindex reverse scoring
-If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
-subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
-like this in your score file:
+@node Moderation
+@section Moderation
+@cindex moderation
+
+If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
+It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
+@samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
+get a copy.
+
+The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
+buffers. Put
@lisp
-(("subject"
- ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
- (mark 1)
- (expunge 1))
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
@end lisp
-So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
-rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
+in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
-@node Global Score Files
-@subsection Global Score Files
-@cindex global score files
+If you are the moderation of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
+supposed to work:
-Sure, other newsreaders have "global kill files". These are usually
-nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
-in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
+@enumerate
+@item
+You split your incoming mail by matching on
+@samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
+articles in some mail group---@samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}, for instance.
-What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
-all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
-big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
+@item
+You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
+(edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
-@vindex gnus-global-score-files
-All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
-@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
-or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
-files are applicable to which group.
+@item
+If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
+articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
+@kbd{c} command.
+@end enumerate
-Say you want to use all score files in the
-@file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory and the single score
-file @file{/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE}:
+To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-global-score-files
- '("/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
- "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
+(setq gnus-moderatated-groups
+ "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
@end lisp
-@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
-Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
-directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
-If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
-use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
-Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
-somewhat. (That is - a lot.)
+@node Various Various
+@section Various Various
+@cindex mode lines
+@cindex highlights
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-directory
+@vindex gnus-directory
+All Gnus directories will be initialized from this variable, which
+defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or @file{~/News/}
+if that variable isn't set.
+
+@item gnus-default-directory
+@vindex gnus-default-directory
+Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
+default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
+like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
+default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
+buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
+
+@item gnus-verbose
+@vindex gnus-verbose
+This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
+the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
+will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
+most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
+shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
+
+@item gnus-verbose-backends
+@vindex gnus-verbose-backends
+This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
+to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
+
+@item nnheader-max-head-length
+@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
+When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
+as little as possible. This variable (default @code{4096}) specifies
+the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
+on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
+@code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
+but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
+@code{ange-ftp}.
+
+@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@cindex file names
+@cindex illegal characters in file names
+@cindex characters in file names
+This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
+For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
+on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+ '((?: . ?_)))
+@end lisp
+
+In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
+Windows (phooey) systems.
+
+@item gnus-hidden-properties
+@vindex gnus-hidden-properties
+This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
+@code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
+makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
+
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
+gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
+some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
+
+@item gnus-shell-command-separator
+@vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
+String used to separate to shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
+
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node The End
+@chapter The End
+
+Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
+touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
+
+My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
+
+Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
+
+@quotation
+@strong{Te Deum}
+@sp 1
+Not because of victories @*
+I sing,@*
+having none,@*
+but for the common sunshine,@*
+the breeze,@*
+the largess of the spring.
+@sp 1
+Not for victory@*
+but for the day's work done@*
+as well as I was able;@*
+not for a seat upon the dais@*
+but at the common table.@*
+@end quotation
+
+
+@node Appendices
+@chapter Appendices
+
+@menu
+* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
+* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
+* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
+* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
+* A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
+* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
+* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node History
+@section History
+
+@cindex history
+@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
+'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
+
+If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
+can point your (feh!) web browser to
+@file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
+distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
+as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
-If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
-just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
-world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
-wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
-sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
-premises! Yay! The net is saved!
+During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
+called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)}, is, of course, short for
+@dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
+(Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
+pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
+appropriate name, don't you think?)
-Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
-head:
+In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
+spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
+renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
+``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
-@item
-To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-Id}.
-@item
-Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
-@item
-Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
-lowered out of existence.
-@item
-Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
-articles completely.
-@item
-Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
-should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
-old articles for a long time.
-@end itemize
+The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
+was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution.
-... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
-in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
-Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
-holding our breath yet?
+In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'') was
+released under the name ``Gnus 5.2''.
-@node Kill Files
-@subsection Kill Files
-@cindex kill files
+On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun.
-Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
-entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Per
-thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
+@menu
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
+@end menu
-In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
-than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
-files into score files.
-Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
-forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
-sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
-that isn't a very good idea.
+@node Why?
+@subsection Why?
-XCNormal kill files look like this:
+What's the point of Gnus?
-@lisp
-(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
-(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
-(gnus-expunge "X")
-@end lisp
+I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
+newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
+original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
+me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
+Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
+volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
+newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
+newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
+keep track of millions of people who post?
-This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
-the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
+Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
+like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
+reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
+to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
+interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
+and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
+everywhere I could imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one
+of you to explore and invent.
-Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
-encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
-interpreting it.
+May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
-Two functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
-@table @kbd
-@item M-k
-@kindex M-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
-Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
+@node Compatibility
+@subsection Compatibility
-@item M-K
-@kindex M-K (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
-Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
-@end table
+@cindex compatibility
+Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
+bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
+but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
-A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
-@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
-this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
-The "global" kill file (not in the score file sense of "global", of
-course) is called just @file{KILL}.
+Our motto is:
+@quotation
+@cartouche
+@center In a cloud bones of steel.
+@end cartouche
+@end quotation
-@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
-If @code{gnus-kill-save-kill-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
-kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
-kills.
+All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
+their names.
+The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @pxref{Decoding
+Articles}.
-@node Mail Group Commands
-@section Mail Group Commands
-@cindex mail group commands
+One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
+buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
+buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
+important variables have their values copied into their global
+counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
+change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
-Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
-illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
+All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
+fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
+changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
+maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
+speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
+peculiar results.
-All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@cindex hilit19
+@cindex highlighting
+Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
+remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
+(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
+Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
+faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
+by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
+Away!
-@table @kbd
-@item B e
-@kindex B e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
-Expire all expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
+Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
+fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
+code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
+does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
-@item B M-C-e
-@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
-Expunge all the expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
-articles that are eligeble for expiry in the current group will
-disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
+Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
+new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
+doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
+to stop doing it the old way.
-@item B DEL
-@kindex B DEL (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-delete-articles
-Delete the mail article. This is "delete" as in "delete it from your
-disk forever and ever, never to return again." Use with caution.
-(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
+Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
-@item B m
-@kindex B m (Summary)
-@cindex move mail
-@findex gnus-summary-move-article
-Move the article from one mail group to another
-(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+@kindex M-x gnus-bug
+@findex gnus-bug
+@cindex reporting bugs
+@cindex bugs
+Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
+@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
+please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
-@item B c
-@kindex B c (Summary)
-@cindex copy mail
-@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
-Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
-(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
-@item B i
-@kindex B i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-import-article
-Import a random file into the current mail newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
-name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+@node Conformity
+@subsection Conformity
-@item B r
-@kindex B r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
-Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
+to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
+with, of course.
-@item B w
-@itemx e
-@kindex B w (Summary)
-@kindex e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
-@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
-Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
-editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
-(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
+@table @strong
-@item B q
-@kindex B q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-fancy-query
-If you are using fancy splitting, this command will tell you where an
-article would go (@code{gnus-summary-fancy-query}).
-@end table
+@item RFC 822
+@cindex RFC 822
+There are no known breaches of this standard.
-@node Various Summary Stuff
-@section Various Summary Stuff
+@item RFC 1036
+@cindex RFC 1036
+There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
-@menu
-* Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
-* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
-* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
-@end menu
+@item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
+@cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
+Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
+the next inspection.
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-@code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} is called after the summary buffer has
-been generated. You might use it to, for instance, highlight lines or
-modify the look of the buffer in some other ungodly manner. I don't
-care.
+@item Son-of-RFC 1036
+@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
+We do have some breaches to this one.
-@node Group Information
-@subsection Group Information
+@table @emph
-@table @kbd
-@item H f
-@kindex H f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
-@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
-current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
-FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
-on a remote machine. @code{ange-ftp} will be used for fetching the file.
-@item H d
-@kindex H d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
-Give a brief description of the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
-rereading the description from the server.
-@item H h
-@kindex H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
-Give a very brief description of the most important summary keystrokes
-(@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
-@item H i
-@kindex H i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
-@end table
+@item MIME
+Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
+MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
-@node Searching for Articles
-@subsection Searching for Articles
+@item X-Newsreader
+This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
+consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
+coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
+those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
+for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
-@table @kbd
-@item M-s
-@kindex M-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
-Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
-@item M-r
-@kindex M-r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
-Search through all previous articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
-@item &
-@kindex & (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
-This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
-match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
-(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
-@item M-&
-@kindex M-& (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
-Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
-the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
+@item References
+Gnus does line breaking on this header. I infer from RFC1036 that being
+conservative in what you output is not creating 5000-character lines, so
+it seems like a good idea to me. However, this standard-to-be says that
+whitespace in the @code{References} header is to be preserved, so... It
+doesn't matter one way or the other to Gnus, so if somebody tells me
+what The Way is, I'll change it. Or not.
@end table
-@node Really Various Summary Commands
-@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
-
-@table @kbd
-@item A D
-@kindex A D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
-If the current article is a digest, you might use this command to enter
-you into a group based on the current digest to ease reading
-(@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}).
-@item C-t
-@kindex C-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
-Toggle truncation of summary lines (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}).
-@item =
-@kindex = (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
-Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
-If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
@end table
-@node The Article Buffer
-@chapter The Article Buffer
-@cindex article buffer
+If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliantly with regards to the texts
+mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
+know.
-The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
-one. All the summary buffer share the same article buffer.
-@menu
-* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
-* Using Mime:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
-* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
-* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer
-* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
-@end menu
+@node Emacsen
+@subsection Emacsen
+@cindex Emacsen
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Mule
+@cindex Emacs
-@node Hiding Headers
-@section Hiding Headers
-@cindex hiding headers
-@cindex deleting headers
+Gnus should work on :
-The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
-@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
+@itemize @bullet
-@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
-There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
-who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
-article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
-most people do not want to see - what systems the article has passed
-through before reaching you, the @code{Message-Id}, the
-@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum - and you'll probably want to get rid
-of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
-article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
+@item
+Emacs 19.30 and up.
-Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+@item
+XEmacs 19.13 and up.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-visible-headers
-@vindex gnus-visible-headers
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
-that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
-headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
+@item
+Mule versions based on Emacs 19.30 and up.
-For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
-the article and the subject, you'd say:
+@end itemize
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
-@end lisp
+Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
+reliably, at least.
-@item gnus-ignored-headers
-@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
-This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
-variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
-should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
-hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
+There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various platforms:
-For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
-and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
+@itemize @bullet
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
-@end lisp
+@item
+The mouse-face on Gnus lines under Emacs and Mule is delimited to
+certain parts of the lines while they cover the entire line under
+XEmacs.
-Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
-variable will have no effect.
-@end table
+@item
+The same with current-article marking---XEmacs puts an underline under
+the entire summary line while Emacs and Mule are nicer and kinder.
-@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
-Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
-can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
-variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
-the headers are to be displayed.
+@item
+XEmacs features more graphics---a logo and a toolbar.
-For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
-and then the subject, you might say something like:
+@item
+Citation highlighting us better under Emacs and Mule than under XEmacs.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
-@end lisp
+@item
+Emacs 19.26-19.28 have tangible hidden headers, which can be a bit
+confusing.
-Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
-variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
-are listed in this variable.
+@end itemize
-@node Using Mime
-@section Using Mime
-@cindex @sc{mime}
-Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
-while people stand around yawning.
+@node Contributors
+@subsection Contributors
+@cindex contributors
-@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
-while all newsreaders die of fear.
+The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
+people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
+gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
+every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
+tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
+type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
+work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
+off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
+Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
+``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
-@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
-of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
-other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
+wrong show.
-@vindex gnus-show-mime
-@vindex gnus-show-mime-method
-Gnus handles @sc{mime} by shoving the articles through
-@code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
-default. If @code{gnus-strict-mime} is non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime}
-method will only be used it there are @sc{mime} headers in the article.
-Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use @sc{mime} all
-the time; it might be best to just use the toggling functions from the
-summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you
-enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
-@sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
-sing-a-long song comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't
-find the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting
-to look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
-can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
-room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
-rather stupid.)
+@itemize @bullet
-Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
+@item Masanobu @sc{Umeda}
+The writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
-@node Customizing Articles
-@section Customizing Articles
-@cindex article customization
+@item Per Abrahamsen
+Custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as well as numerous
+other things).
-@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
-The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
-been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
-treatment of the article before it is displayed. By default it contains
-@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}, which hides unwanted headers.
+@item Luis Fernandes
+Design and graphics.
-@findex gnus-article-subcite
-@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
-Other useful functions you might add to this hook is:
+@item Wes Hardaker
+@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on @dfn{picons}
+(@pxref{Picons}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-article-hide-citation
-Hide all cited text.
-@item gnus-article-hide-signature
-Umn, hides the signature.
-@item gnus-article-treat-overstrike
-Treat @samp{^H_} in a reasonable manner.
-@item gnus-article-maybe-highlight
-Do fancy article highlighting.
-@item gnus-article-remove-cr
-Removes trailing carriage returns.
-@item gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Do naive decoding of articles encoded with Quoted-Printable.
-@item gnus-article-display-x-face
-Displays any X-Face headers.
-@end table
+@item Brad Miller
+@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section (@pxref{GroupLens}).
-You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
-from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
-There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer - you can
-change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
-make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
+@item Sudish Joseph
+Innumerable bug fixes.
-@node Article Keymap
-@section Article Keymap
+@item Ilja Weis
+@file{gnus-topic.el}.
-@c Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
-@c article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
-@c buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
-@c buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
-@c buffer.
+@item Steven L. Baur
+Lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
-A few additional keystrokes are available:
+@item Vladimir Alexiev
+The refcard and reference booklets.
-@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-page
-Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-page
-Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
-@item C-c ^
-@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-refer-article
-If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-Id} and you press
-@kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
-(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
-@item C-c C-m
-@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-mail
-Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
-given a prefix, include the mail.
-@item s
-@kindex s (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-show-summary
-Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
-(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
-Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
-(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
-@end table
+@item Felix Lee & JWZ
+I stole some pieces from the XGnus distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
-@node Misc Article
-@section Misc Article
+@item Scott Byer
+@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
-This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
-article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
-depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
-the contents of the article buffer.
-@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
-@item gnus-article-display-hook
-This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
-intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
-hiding headers, and the like.
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
-@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
-This variable is a format string along the same lines as
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts exactly the same
-format specifications as that variable.
-@vindex gnus-break-pages
-@item gnus-break-pages
-Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
-is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
-page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
-paging will not be done.
-@item gnus-page-delimiter
-@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
-This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
-(form linefeed).
-@end table
+@item Peter Mutsaers
+Orphan article scoring code.
-@node The Server Buffer
-@chapter The Server Buffer
+@item Ken Raeburn
+POP mail support.
-Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
-one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
-connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
-one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
-the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
-backend represents a virtual server.
+@item Hallvard B Furuseth
+Various bits and pieces, especially dealing with .newsrc files.
-For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
-different actual nntp servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports on
-the same actual nntp server. You tell Gnus which backend to use, and
-what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
+@item Brian Edmonds
+@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
-These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
-complicated - say, for instance, that you want to read from the nntp
-server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number @samp{13}, which hangs if
-queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem. Anyways, if
-you had to specify that for each group that used this server, that would
-be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of putting names to methods,
-which is what you do in the server buffer.
+@item Ricardo Nassif and Mark Borges
+Proof-reading.
-@menu
-* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
-* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
-* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
-* Servers & Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
-@end menu
+@item Kevin Davidson
+Came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
-@node Server Buffer Format
-@section Server Buffer Format
-@cindex server buffer format
+@end itemize
-@vindex gnus-server-line-format
-You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
-@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
-variable, with some simple extensions:
+Peter Arius, Stainless Steel Rat, Ulrik Dickow, Jack Vinson, Daniel
+Quinlan, Frank D. Cringle, Geoffrey T. Dairiki, Fabrice Popineau and
+Andrew Eskilsson have all contributed code and suggestions.
-@table @samp
-@item h
-How the news is fetched - the backend name.
-@item n
-The name of this server.
-@item w
-Where the news is to be fetched from - the address.
-@end table
-@node Server Commands
-@section Server Commands
-@cindex server commands
+@node New Features
+@subsection New Features
+@cindex new features
-@table @kbd
-@item SPC
-Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
-@item q
-Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
-@item l
-List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
-@item k
-Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
-@item y
-Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
-@item c
-Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
-@item a
-Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
-@item e
-Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
-@end table
+@itemize @bullet
-@node Example Methods
-@section Example Methods
+@item
+The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
+(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
+
+@item
+Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
+(@pxref{Select Methods}).
-Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
+@item
+You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
-@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi")
-@end lisp
+@item
+You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
+All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
+their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
+can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+
+@item
+Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
+them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
+entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
+(@pxref{The Active File}).
-Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+@item
+Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
+(@pxref{Group Levels}).
-@lisp
-(nnspool "")
-@end lisp
+@item
+You can score articles according to any number of criteria
+(@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
+articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
-As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
-backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
-will.
+@item
+Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
+manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
+read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
-After these two elements, there may be a random number of @var{(variable
-form)} pairs.
+@item
+Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
+the @file{.emacs} file.
-To go back to the first example - imagine that you want to read from
-port @code{15} from that machine. This is what the select method should
-look like then:
+@item
+You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
+operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
-@end lisp
+@item
+You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
+results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
-You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
-variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
+@item
+You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
-@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
-you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
-mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
-you private mail:
+@item
+You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
+servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
-@lisp
-(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
-@end lisp
+@item
+Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
+server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
-(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
-that.
+@item
+You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
-Here's the method for the public spool:
+@item
+The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-@lisp
-(nnmh "public"
- (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
- (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
-@end lisp
+@item
+You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
+of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
-@node Servers & Methods
-@section Servers & Methods
+@item
+Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
+glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
-Wherever you would normally use a select method
-(eg. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
-when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
-instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
-over.
+@item
+Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
+@item
+Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
+(@pxref{Document Groups}).
-@node Various
-@chapter Various
+@item
+Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
+Articles}).
-@menu
-* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
-* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
-* Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
-* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
-@end menu
+@item
+URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
+Buttons}).
-@node Interactive
-@section Interactive
-@cindex interaction
+@item
+You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
+configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-novice-user
-@vindex gnus-novice-user
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
-World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
-really. You will be given questions of the type "Are you sure you want
-to do this?" before doing anything dangerous.
-@item gnus-expert-user
-@vindex gnus-expert-user
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
-questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what your are doing,
-no matter how strange.
-@item gnus-interactive-catchup
-@vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
-Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}.
-@item gnus-interactive-post
-@vindex gnus-interactive-post
-If non-@code{nil}, the user will be prompted for a group name when
-posting an article.
-@item gnus-interactive-exit
-@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
-Require confirmation before exiting Gnus.
-@end table
+@item
+You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
+(@pxref{Buttons}).
-@node Windows Configuration
-@section Windows Configuration
-@cindex windows configuration
+@item
+Gnus can use NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
-No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
+@end itemize
-@table @code
-@item gnus-use-full-window
-@vindex gnus-use-full-window
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all other windows and occupy the
-entire Emacs screen by itself. It is @code{t} by default.
+This is, of course, just a @emph{short} overview of the @emph{most}
+important new features. No, really. There are tons more. Yes, we have
+feeping creaturism in full effect, but nothing too gratuitous, I would
+hope.
-@item gnus-buffer-configuration
-@vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
-This variable describes how much space each Gnus buffer should be given.
-Here's an excerpt of this variable:
-@lisp
-((group ([group 1.0 point]
- (if gnus-carpal [group-carpal 4])))
- (article ([summary 0.25 point]
- [article 1.0])))
-@end lisp
+@node Newest Features
+@subsection Newest Features
+@cindex todo
-This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
-other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
-configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
-possible names is listed below.
+Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
+next millennium.
-The @dfn{value} is a @dfn{rule} that says how much space each buffer
-should occupy. To take the @code{article} rule as an example -
+Be afraid. Be very afraid.
-@lisp
-(article ([summary 0.25 point]
- [article 1.0]))
-@end lisp
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
+@item
+A better and simpler method for specifying mail composing methods.
+@item
+Allow posting through mail-to-news gateways.
+@item
+Really do unbinhexing.
+@end itemize
-This rule says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of the screen,
-and that it is placed over the article buffer. As you may have noticed,
-100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all reaching for that
-calculator there). However, the special number @code{1.0} is used to
-signal that this buffer should soak up all the rest of the space
-avaiable after the rest of the buffers have taken whatever they need.
-There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0} size spec.
+And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
+implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
-Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
-@code{point}.
+@code{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/sgnus/todo>} is where the actual
+up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
+could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
-Here's a more complicated example:
-@lisp
-(article ([group 4]
- [summary 0.25 point]
- (if gnus-carpal [summary-carpal 4])
- [article 1.0])
-@end lisp
+@node Terminology
+@section Terminology
-If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
-then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
-occupy, not a percentage.
+@cindex terminology
+@table @dfn
-If an element is a list instead of a vector, this list will be
-@code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will be used. This
-means that there will be three buffers if @code{gnus-carpal} is
-@code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal} is non-@code{nil}.
+@item news
+@cindex news
+This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
+News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
+generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
+world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
+snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
-Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
+@item mail
+@cindex mail
+Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
+readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
+there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
+not posting, and replying is not following up.
-@lisp
-(article ([group 1.0]
- [gnus-carpal 4])
- ((horizontal 0.5)
- [summary 0.25 point]
- [summary-carpal 4]
- [article 1.0]))
-@end lisp
+@item reply
+@cindex reply
+Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
-Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
-@code{horizontal} thingie?
+@item follow up
+@cindex follow up
+Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
+are reading.
-If the first element in one of the rule lists is a list with
-@code{horizontal} as the first element, Gnus will split the window
-horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side. Inside each of these
-strips you may carry on all you like in the normal fashion. The number
-following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of the screen is to be
-given to this strip.
+@item backend
+@cindex backend
+Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
+backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
+is all done by the backends.
-For each horizontal split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the
-100% tag. The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any
-leftover lines from the splits.
+@item native
+@cindex native
+Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
+default, way of getting news.
-Here's a list of all possible keys:
+@item foreign
+@cindex foreign
+You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
+These are groups that use different backends for getting news.
-@code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
-@code{browse}, @code{group-mail}, @code{summary-mail},
-@code{summary-reply}, @code{info}, @code{summary-faq},
-@code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server}, @code{reply}, @code{reply-yank},
-@code{followup}, @code{followup-yank}, @code{edit-score}.
+@item secondary
+@cindex secondary
+Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
+foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
-@findex gnus-add-configuration
-Since this variable is so long and complicated, there's a function you
-can use to ease changing the config of a single setting:
-@code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance, you want to change the
-@code{article} setting, you could say:
+@item article
+@cindex article
+A nessage that has been posted as news.
-@lisp
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article ([group 4]
- [summary .25 point]
- [article 1.0])))
-@end lisp
+@item mail message
+@cindex mail message
+A message that has been mailed.
-@end table
+@item message
+@cindex message
+A mail message or news article
-@node Buttons
-@section Buttons
-@cindex buttons
-@cindex mouse
-@cindex click
+@item head
+@cindex head
+The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
+put.
-Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
-young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
-these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
-using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
-machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
+@item body
+@cindex body
+The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
+body.
-Right.
+@item header
+@cindex header
+A line from the head of an article.
-@vindex gnus-carpal
-Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
-do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
-really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
+@item headers
+@cindex headers
+A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
+collection of @sc{nov} lines.
+@item @sc{nov}
+@cindex nov
+When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
+unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
+format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
+normal @sc{head} format.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
-Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
-@item gnus-carpal-button-face
-@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
-Face used on buttons.
-@item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the group buffer.
-@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the summary buffer.
-@item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the server buffer.
-@item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the browse buffer.
-@end table
+@item level
+@cindex levels
+Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
+that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
+higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
+@dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
+are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
+articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
-All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
-is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
-the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
+@item killed groups
+@cindex killed groups
+No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
+groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
-@node Various Various
-@section Various Various
-@cindex mode lines
-@cindex highlights
+@item zombie groups
+@cindex zombie groups
+Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-verbose
-@vindex gnus-verbose
-This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
-the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
-will never flash any messages, if it is seven, most important messages
-will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever shut up, but will flash
-so many messages it will make your head swim.
-@item gnus-updated-mode-lines
-@vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
-This is a list of buffers that should keep their mode lines updated.
-The list may contain the symbols @code{group}, @code{article} and
-@code{summary}. If the corresponding symbol is present, Gnus will keep
-that mode line updated with information that may be pertinent. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be quicker.
+@item active file
+@cindex active file
+The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
+groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
+is rather large, as you might surmise.
-@cindex display-time
-@item gnus-mode-non-string-length
-@vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
-By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
-lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
-to display (eg. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
-mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. This
-variable says how long the other elements on the line is (i.e., the
-non-info part). If you put additional elements on the mode line (eg. a
-clock), you should modify this variable:
-@c Hook written by Keinonen Kari <kk85613@cs.tut.fi>.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'display-time-hook
- (lambda ()
- (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
- (+ 21 (length display-time-string)))))
-@end lisp
+@item bogus groups
+@cindex bogus groups
+A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
+server (i. e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
+This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
-@item gnus-visual
-@vindex gnus-visual
-If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy colors
-or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-visual.el}
-file.
-@item gnus-mouse-face
-@vindex gnus-mouse-face
-This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
-mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@item server
+@cindex server
+A machine than one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
-@item gnus-display-type
-@vindex gnus-display-type
-This variable is symbol indicating the display Emacs is running under.
-The symbol should be one of @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
-@code{mono}. If Gnus guesses this display attribute wrongly, either set
-this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or set the resource
-@code{Emacs.displayType} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
+@item select method
+@cindex select method
+A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
+server parameters.
-@item gnus-background-mode
-@vindex gnus-background-mode
-This is a symbol indicating the Emacs background brightness. The symbol
-should be one of @code{light} or @code{dark}. If Gnus guesses this
-frame attribute wrongly, either set this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or
-set the resource @code{Emacs.backgroundMode} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
-`gnus-display-type'.
+@item virtual server
+@cindex virtual server
+A named select method. Since a select methods defines all there is to
+know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the who things as a
+whole is a virtual server.
@end table
+
@node Customization
-@chapter Customization
+@section Customization
@cindex general customization
All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
@end menu
+
@node Slow/Expensive Connection
-@section Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
+@subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
@table @code
+
@item gnus-read-active-file
Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-news} and
@code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
+
@item gnus-nov-is-evil
This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
@end table
+
@node Slow Terminal Connection
-@section Slow Terminal Connection
+@subsection Slow Terminal Connection
Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that
runs Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce the
amount of data that is sent over the wires as much as possible.
@table @code
+
@item gnus-auto-center-summary
-Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from recentering the summary
-buffer all the time.
+Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
+buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
+re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
+horizontal and vertical recentering.
+
@item gnus-visible-headers
Cut down on the headers that are included in the articles to the
-minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether - most of the
+minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
-@samp{"^NEVVVVER"} or @samp{"From:"}, or whatever you feel you need.
+@samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
+
@item gnus-article-display-hook
Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
@lisp
'(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
gnus-article-hide-citation))
@end lisp
+
@item gnus-use-full-window
By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
want to read them anyway.
+
@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
hidden initially.
+
@item gnus-updated-mode-lines
If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
lines, which might save some time.
@end table
+
@node Little Disk Space
-@section Little Disk Space
+@subsection Little Disk Space
+@cindex disk space
The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
@table @code
+
@item gnus-save-newsrc-file
-If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc} - it will
+If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
-use any other newsreaders than Gnus.
+use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+
@item gnus-save-killed-list
If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
-variable to @code{nil}.
+variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
+
@end table
+
@node Slow Machine
-@section Slow Machine
+@subsection Slow Machine
+@cindex slow machine
If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
processing a bit faster.
+
@node Troubleshooting
-@chapter Troubleshooting
+@section Troubleshooting
@cindex troubleshooting
-Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box - I can't imagine any
+Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
problems, really.
Ahem.
@enumerate
+
@item
Make sure your computer is switched on.
+
@item
Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
Gnus will work.
+
@item
Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
+
@item
-Read the help group (@kbd{M h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
+Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
how-to.
+
+@item
+@vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
+Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
+rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
+you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
+something like that.
@end enumerate
-If all else fails, report the problem as a bug,
+If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
@cindex bugs
@cindex reporting bugs
@findex gnus-bug
If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
-me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
+me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
-@c If you just need help, you are better off asking on
-@c @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}.
+You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
+@kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
+a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
+environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
+time.
-@node The End
-@chapter The End
+It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
+you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you send back
+just ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
+insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
+for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
+mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
-Well, that's the manual - you can get on with your life now. Keep in
-touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
+If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
+it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
+it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
+the bug report.a
-My @strong{ghod} - I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
+If you just need help, you are better off asking on
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
-Ol' Chuck Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
+@cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
+@cindex ding mailing list
+You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@ifi.uio.no}.
+Write to @samp{ding-request@@ifi.uio.no} to subscribe.
-@quotation
-@strong{Te Deum}
-@sp 1
-Not because of victories @*
-I sing,@*
-having none,@*
-but for the common sunshine,@*
-the breeze,@*
-the largess of the spring.
-@sp 1
-Not for victory@*
-but for the day's work done@*
-as well as I was able;@*
-not for a seat upon the dais@*
-but at the common table.@*
-@end quotation
-@node Appendix
-@chapter A Programmer's Guide to Gnus
+@node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
+@section A Programmer's Guide to Gnus
It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
-workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
+workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
it.
You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
* Group Info:: The group info format.
+* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
+* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
@end menu
@node Backend Interface
-@section Backend Interface
+@subsection Backend Interface
-Gnus doesn't know anything about nntp, spools, mail or virtual groups.
-It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual server is
-a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples of the
-first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
+Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
+groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
+server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
+of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
-@code{nnmbox-directory}.
+@code{nnmbox-directory}.
-When Gnus asks for information from a backend -- say @code{nntp} -- on
+When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
-function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the "current"
+function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
been opened, the function should fail.
(nntp-port-number 4324))
@end lisp
-Here the virtual server name is @samp{"odd-one"} while the name of
-the physical server is @samp{"ifi.uio.no"}.
+Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
+the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
always check whether are present before attempting to call.
All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
-@code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{" *nntpd*"}), which is somewhat
+@code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
-"resulting data", I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
-talk about "return value", I talk about the function value returned by
-the function call.
+@dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
+talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
+the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
+return value.
Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
some might be said to not be. The latter are backends that generally
-only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of "server" --
-they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing more.
+only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
+-- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
+more.
In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
@code{nnchoke}.
+@cindex @code{nnchoke}
+
@menu
* Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
* Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
+* Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
@end menu
@node Required Backend Functions
-@subsection Required Backend Functions
+@subsubsection Required Backend Functions
@table @code
-@item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER)
+@item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
@var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
-@code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either - only
+@code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
+If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try to fetch "extra
+headers, in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
+fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
+article number in @code{articles}, and fill in the gaps as well. The
+presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
+cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
+number, do maximum fetches.
+
Here's an example HEAD:
@example
@end example
For a closer explanation what should be in those fields,
-@xref{Headers}.
+@pxref{Headers}.
@item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
@item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
-to it.
+to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
+reason.
There should be no data returned.
Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
-should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.)
+should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
+function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
There should be no data returned.
@item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
-This function should return whether @var{server} is opened, and that the
-connection to it is still alive. This function should under no
-circumstances attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost
-connection to.
+If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
+physical server is alive, then this function should return a
+non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
+attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost connection to.
There should be no data returned.
another, and Gnus mainly request articles to be inserted directly into
its article buffer.
+If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
+the car is the group name the article was fetched from, and the cdr is
+the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
+group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
+@code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
+on successful article retrievement.
+
@item (nnchoke-open-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
There should be no data returned by this function.
-@item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
+@item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
making @var{group} the current group.
+If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
+the current group.
+
Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
@example
211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
@end example
-The first number is the status, which should be @samp{211}. Next is the
+The first number is the status, which should be @code{211}. Next is the
total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
number of articles may be less than one might think while just
considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
-may have been cancelled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
+may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
-problem) is left as an excercise to the reader.
+problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
@example
group-status = [ error / info ] eol
There should be no result data from this function.
-
-@item (nnchoke-request-post-buffer POST GROUP SUBJECT HEADER ARTICLE-BUFFER INFO FOLLOW-TO RESPECT-POSTER)
-
-This function should return a buffer suitable for composing an article
-to be posted by @code{nnchoke-request-post}. If @var{post} is
-non-@code{nil}, this is not a followup, but a totally new article.
-@var{group} is the name of the group to be posted to. @var{subject} is
-the subject of the message. @var{article-buffer} is the buffer being
-followed up, if that is the case. @var{info} is the group info.
-@var{follow-to} is the group that one is supposed to re-direct the
-article to. If @var{respect-poster} is non-@code{nil}, the special
-@samp{"poster"} value of a @code{Followup-To} header is to be respected.
-
-There should be no result data returned.
-
@end table
+
@node Optional Backend Functions
-@subsection Optional Backend Functions
+@subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
@table @code
information (as is the case with virtual an imap groups). This function
may alter the info in any manner it sees fit, and should return the
(altered) group info. This function may alter the group info
-destructively, so no copying is needed before boogying.
+destructively, so no copying is needed before boogeying.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
+
+When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
+summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
+user is following up is news or mail. This function should return
+@code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
+is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
+@var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
+might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
+and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
+
+If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
+function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
+returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
+@var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
+@var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
+
+The only use for this that I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
+it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
+in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
+expirable.
There should be no result data from this function.
request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
-to be heeded -- if the backend decides that it is too much work just
+to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
would generally expect that if one later fetches article number 4, for
instance, some sort of asynchronous fetching of the articles after 4
(which might be 5, 6, 7 or 11, 3, 909 depending on the order in that
-alist) would be fetched asynchronouly, but that is left up to the
+alist) would be fetched asynchronously, but that is left up to the
backend. Gnus doesn't care.
There should be no result data from this function.
format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
-@item (nnchoke-request-create-groups GROUP &optional SERVER)
+@item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
This function should ready the article in question for moving by
removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
-should "tidy up" the article. Then it should @code{eval}
-@var{accept-form} in the buffer where the "tidy" article is. This will
-do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a non-@code{nil}
-value, the article should be removed.
+should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
+@var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
+will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
+non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
optimizations.
+The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
+the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
+
There should be no data returned.
-@item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional LAST)
+@item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
this function in short order.
+The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
+the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
+
There should be no data returned.
There should be no data returned.
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
+really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
+itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+
+@item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
+
+This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
+articles that are in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
+
+There should be no data returned.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Error Messaging
+@subsubsection Error Messaging
+
+@findex nnheader-report
+@findex nnheader-get-report
+The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
+error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
+perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
+symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
+there are many of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
+This function always returns @code{nil}.
+
+@lisp
+(nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
+
+(nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
+@end lisp
+
+Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
+@code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
+recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
+takes one argument---the server symbol.
+
+Internally, these function access @var{backend}@code{-status-string}, so
+the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
+@code{nnchoke-status-string}.
+
+
+@node Writing New Backends
+@subsubsection Writing New Backends
+
+Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
+@code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
+@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
+and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
+@code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
+editing articles.
+
+It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
+backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
+want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
+
+All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
+package called @code{nnoo}.
+
+To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
+inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
+following macros:
+following.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnoo-declare
+This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
+parameters. For instance:
+
+@lisp
+(nnoo-declare nndir
+ nnml nnmh)
+@end lisp
+
+@code{nndir} has here declared that it intends to inherit functions from
+both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
+
+@item defvoo
+This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
+a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
+declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
+
+In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
+variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
+a function in those backends.
+
+@lisp
+(defvoo nndir-directory nil
+ "Where nndir will look for groups."
+ nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
+@end lisp
+
+This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
+@code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
+of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
+
+@item nnoo-define-basics
+This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
+have.
+
+@example
+(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
+@end example
+
+@item deffoo
+This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
+addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
+function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
+
+@item nnoo-map-functions
+This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
+functions from the parent backends.
+
+@example
+(nnoo-map-functions nndir
+ (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
+@end example
+
+This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
+third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
+@code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
+value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
+
+@item nnoo-import
+This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
+last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
+haven't already been defined.
+
+@example
+(nnoo-import nndir
+ (nnmh
+ nnmh-request-list
+ nnmh-request-newgroups)
+ (nnml))
+@end example
+
+This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
+on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
+@code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
+defined now.
+
@end table
+Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
+
+@lisp
+;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
+;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+;;; Code:
+
+(require 'nnheader)
+(require 'nnmh)
+(require 'nnml)
+(require 'nnoo)
+(eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
+
+(nnoo-declare nndir
+ nnml nnmh)
+
+(defvoo nndir-directory nil
+ "Where nndir will look for groups."
+ nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
+
+(defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
+ "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
+ nnml-nov-is-evil)
+
+(defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
+(defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
+(defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
+
+(defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
+(defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
+
+;;; Interface functions.
+
+(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
+
+(deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
+ (setq nndir-directory
+ (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
+ server))
+ (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
+ (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
+ (push `(nndir-current-group
+ ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
+ defs)
+ (push `(nndir-top-directory
+ ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
+ defs)
+ (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
+
+(nnoo-map-functions nndir
+ (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
+ (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
+
+(nnoo-import nndir
+ (nnmh
+ nnmh-status-message
+ nnmh-request-list
+ nnmh-request-newgroups))
+
+(provide 'nndir)
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
+@subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
+
+@vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
+Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
+declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
+enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
+
+@code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
+an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
+@end lisp
+
+The abilities can be:
+
+@table @code
+@item mail
+This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
+@item post
+This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
+@item post-mail
+This backend supports both mail and news.
+@item none
+This is neither a post or mail backend---it's something completely
+different.
+@item respool
+It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
+articles and groups.
+@item address
+The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
+true for almost all backends.
+@item prompt-address
+The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
+@kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
+@code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
+@end table
+
+
@node Score File Syntax
-@section Score File Syntax
+@subsection Score File Syntax
Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
exclude-files / read-only / touched
optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
-nil-or-t = "nil" / <integer>
+nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
-left up to the programmer -- if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
+left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
one looong line, then that's ok.
The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
manual.
+
@node Headers
-@section Headers
+@subsection Headers
Gnus uses internally a format for storing article headers that
corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
-@dfn{Header} is a severly overloaded term. "Header" is used in RFC1036
-to talk about lines in the head of an article (eg., @code{From}). It is
-used by many people as a synonym for "head" -- "the header and the
-body". (That should be avoided, in my opinion.) And Gnus uses a format
-interanally that it calls "header", which is what I'm talking about
-here. This is a 9-element vector, basically, with each header (ouch)
-having one slot.
+@dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
+RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (eg.,
+@code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
+``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
+opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
+which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
+basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
@code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
-@code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these slots --
-they all have predicatable names beginning with @code{mail-header-} and
-@code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
+@code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
+slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
+@code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
be put in there.
+
@node Ranges
-@section Ranges
+@subsection Ranges
@sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
-that you want to callify as being "included", a normal sequence isn't
+that you want to callify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
is slightly tricky:
@example
-((1 . 6) 7 8 (10 . 12))
+((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
@end example
and
(1 2 3 4 5)
@end example
-is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty longwinded one. This is
+is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
also legal:
@example
@node Group Info
-@section Group Info
+@subsection Group Info
Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
- ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 23)))
+ ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
(nnml "")
(auto-expire (to-address "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
@end example
in pseudo-BNF.
+@node Emacs/XEmacs Code
+@subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Emacsen
+
+While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
+platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
+like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
+
+This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
+while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
+As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
+Gnus, that's very useful.
+
+I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
+Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
+@code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
+function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
+takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
+Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
+However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
+following function:
+
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
+ (start-itimer
+ "gnus-run-at-time"
+ `(lambda ()
+ (,function ,@@args))
+ time repeat))
+@end lisp
+
+This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
+not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
+does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
+all over.
+
+Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
+mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
+hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
+
+
+@node Various File Formats
+@subsection Various File Formats
+
+@menu
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Active File Format
+@subsubsection Active File Format
+
+The active file lists all groups that are available on the server in
+question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
+in each group.
+
+Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
+
+@example
+soc.motss 296030 293865 y
+alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
+comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
+comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
+no.general 1000 900 y
+@end example
+
+Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
+
+@example
+active = *group-line
+group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
+group = <non-white-space string>
+space = " "
+high-number = <non-negative integer>
+low-number = <positive integer>
+flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
+@end example
+
+
+@node Newsgroups File Format
+@subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
+
+The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
+groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
+have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
+the user.
+
+The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
+Here's the definition:
+
+@example
+newsgroups = *line
+line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
+group = <non-white-space string>
+tab = <TAB>
+description = <string>
+@end example
+
+
+@node Emacs for Heathens
+@section Emacs for Heathens
+
+Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
+Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
+If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
+region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
+is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
+phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
+you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
+cat instead.
+
+@menu
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Keystrokes
+@subsection Keystrokes
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
+
+@item
+A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
+@end itemize
+
+Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
+key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
+(notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
+of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
+``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
+may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
+
+The shift key is normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
+normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
+the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
+that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
+keyboards. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
+which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
+to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
+
+Now, us Emacs people doesn't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
+because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
+key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
+prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
+down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
+``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
+the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
+
+This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
+meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
+means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
+work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
+suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
+it.
+
+
+
+@node Emacs Lisp
+@subsection Emacs Lisp
+
+Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
+Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
+Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
+any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
+
+Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
+functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
+interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
+certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
+(Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
+beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
+some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
+to customize Gnus.
+
+If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
+write the following:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
+@end lisp
+
+This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
+set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
+you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
+how Gnus works.
+
+If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
+and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
+start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
+@kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
+previous ``form'', which here is a simple @code{setq} statement.
+
+Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
+@kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
+is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
+
+Some pitfalls:
+
+If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
+that means:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
+@end lisp
+
+On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
+@samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
+@end lisp
+
+So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
+former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
+
+
+@include gnus-faq.texi
+
@node Index
@chapter Index
@printindex cp
@contents
@bye
-\f
-@c Local Variables:
-@c outline-regexp: "@chap\\|@\\(sub\\)*section\\|@appendix \\|@appendix\\(sub\\)*sec\\|\^L"
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\end{document}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
@c End:
-\1f
projects / gnus / blobdiff