From: ichikawa Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 15:48:49 +0000 (+0000) Subject: Sync up with pgnus-0.32 X-Git-Tag: pgnus-ichikawa-199811302358~207 X-Git-Url: http://git.chise.org/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?a=commitdiff_plain;h=418961371f56427f38706b2d6f853daf67bb1900;p=elisp%2Fgnus.git- Sync up with pgnus-0.32 --- diff --git a/texi/gnus-ja.texi b/texi/gnus-ja.texi index f18a7f0..87cbd68 100644 --- a/texi/gnus-ja.texi +++ b/texi/gnus-ja.texi @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- @setfilename gnus-ja -@settitle Semi-gnus 6.10.020 Manual +@settitle Semi-gnus 6.10.021 Manual @synindex fn cp @synindex vr cp @synindex pg cp @@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions. @tex @titlepage -@title Semi-gnus 6.10.020 Manual +@title Semi-gnus 6.10.021 Manual @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen @author by members of Semi-gnus mailing-list @@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ Semi-gnus $B$O!"Bg$-$J3($,F~$C$F$$$?$j$5$^$6$^$J7A<0$rMQ$$$?$j$7$F$$$k$A$g$C(B $B$J8@8l7w$r:9JL$7$^$;$s!#$"$"!"%/%j%s%4%s$NJ}$O(B Unicode Next Generation$B$r(B $B$*BT$A$/$@$5$$!#(B -$B$3$N@bL@=q$O(B Semi-gnus 6.10.020 $B$KBP1~$7$^$9!#(B +$B$3$N@bL@=q$O(B Semi-gnus 6.10.021 $B$KBP1~$7$^$9!#(B @end ifinfo diff --git a/texi/gnus.texi b/texi/gnus.texi deleted file mode 100644 index abb72ac..0000000 --- a/texi/gnus.texi +++ /dev/null @@ -1,20121 +0,0 @@ -\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- - -@setfilename gnus -@settitle Semi-gnus 6.10.021 Manual -@synindex fn cp -@synindex vr cp -@synindex pg cp -@c @direntry -@c * Gnus: (gnus). 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-\mbox{} -\vfill - -\thispagestyle{empty} - -Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98 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) 1995,96 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. - -@ignore -Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the -results, provided the printed document carries copying permission -notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph -(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual). - -@end ignore -Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this -manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also 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. -@end ifinfo - -@tex - -@titlepage -@title Semi-gnus 6.10.021 Manual - -@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen -@page - -@vskip 0pt plus 1filll -Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 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. - -@end titlepage -@page - -@end tex - - -@node Top -@top The 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 -spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your -luck. - -Semi-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So Semi-gnus -supports your right to read strange messages including big images or -other various kinds of formats. Semi-gnus also supports -internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE -API. So Semi-gnus does not discriminate various language communities. -Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation. - -This manual corresponds to Semi-gnus 6.10.021. - -@end ifinfo - -@iftex - -@iflatex -\tableofcontents -\gnuscleardoublepage -@end iflatex - -Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible -unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs. - -Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid -being accused of plagiarism: - -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! - -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 - - -@menu -* 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 Starting Up -@chapter Starting gnus -@cindex starting up - -@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. - -@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. - -If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some -variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to -@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts. - -If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the -terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}). - -@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 Gnusae:: 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 - - -@node Finding the News -@section Finding the News -@cindex finding news - -@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 not fetched with this method are foreign -groups. - -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: - -@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. - -@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 try to use the machine running Emacs as an -@sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though. - -@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. - -@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}. - -@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. - -For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your 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 arbitrarily -picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined -here as @dfn{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 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 preferably keep no native groups on those two -levels.) - - -@node Slave Gnusae -@section Slave Gnusae -@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 (e.g., if -you are using the two different gnusae to read from two different -servers), that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it. - -The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae 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{slaves}. -(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 gnusae 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 contain 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 -@cindex fetching a group - -@findex gnus-fetch-group -It is sometimes 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. - - -@node New Groups -@section New Groups -@cindex new groups -@cindex subscription - -@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups -If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups, -you can 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{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to -@code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even -when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}). - -@menu -* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new. -* Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups. -* Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups. -@end menu - - -@node Checking New Groups -@subsection Checking New Groups - -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 and -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 none do, 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.) - -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. - - -@node Subscription Methods -@subsection Subscription Methods - -@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. This function will be called -with the name of the new group as the only parameter. - -Some handy pre-fab functions are: - -@table @code - -@item gnus-subscribe-zombies -@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies -Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the -zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly -(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}). - -@item gnus-subscribe-randomly -@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly -Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all -new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer. - -@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically -@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically -Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order. - -@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-subscribe-interactively -@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively -Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask you -about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe to -will be subscribed hierarchically. - -@item gnus-subscribe-killed -@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed -Kill all new groups. - -@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 mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above -(@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to -@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This -will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it. - - -@node Filtering New Groups -@subsection Filtering New Groups - -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: - -@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} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps, -and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally -subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored. - -@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}. - -New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using -@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}. - - -@node Changing Servers -@section Changing Servers -@cindex changing servers - -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 flaky and you want to use another. - -Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change -@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server? - -@emph{Wrong!} - -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. - -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 the -article numbers of the read articles 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. - -@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. - -@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. - - -@node Startup Files -@section Startup Files -@cindex startup files -@cindex .newsrc -@cindex .newsrc.el -@cindex .newsrc.eld - -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 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. - -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. You should -never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information -not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file. - -In addition, gnus does not change anything. Hail comrade Lars! - -@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 exiting 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} (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 mean 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}. - -@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 -@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 on by default when saving the -startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like: - -@lisp -(defun turn-off-backup () - (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t)) - -(add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup) -(add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup) -@end lisp - -@vindex gnus-init-file -When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file} -(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file} -(@file{~/.gnus} by default) 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. Gnus will also check for files -with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el} -suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to -@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el}, -and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). - - - -@node Auto Save -@section Auto Save -@cindex dribble file -@cindex auto-save - -Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles, -catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a -special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal -Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the -@file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from -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 saved. - -@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file -If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and -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. - -@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file -If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will -read the dribble file on startup without querying the user. - - -@node The Active File -@section The Active File -@cindex active file -@cindex ignored groups - -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 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. 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. This variable is @code{some} by default. - -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 -present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down -considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem. - -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 @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 ask for group info in total -lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an -@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 -@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. - -Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from -secondary select methods. - - -@node Startup Variables -@section Startup Variables - -@table @code - -@item gnus-load-hook -@vindex gnus-load-hook -A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will -normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many -times you start gnus. - -@item gnus-before-startup-hook -@vindex gnus-before-startup-hook -A hook run after starting up gnus successfully. - -@item gnus-startup-hook -@vindex gnus-startup-hook -A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus - -@item gnus-started-hook -@vindex gnus-started-hook -A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus -successfully. - -@item gnus-started-hook -@vindex gnus-started-hook -A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before -generating the group buffer. - -@item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups -@vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups -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 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 as easily that you are reading news instead -of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before -@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead. - -@item gnus-no-groups-message -@vindex gnus-no-groups-message -Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available. - -@item gnus-play-startup-jingle -@vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle -If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup. - -@item gnus-startup-jingle -@vindex gnus-startup-jingle -Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The -default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}. - -@end table - - -@node The Group Buffer -@chapter The Group Buffer -@cindex group buffer - -The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It -is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as -long as gnus is active. - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{ -\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}} -\put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}} -\put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}} -\put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}} -\put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}} -\put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}} -\put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}} -} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@menu -* 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 Data:: Changing the info for a group. -* 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:: 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 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 - -@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 -@cindex group buffer format - -The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can -make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like. - -Here's a couple of example group lines: - -@example - 25: news.announce.newusers - * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin -@end example - -Quite simple, huh? - -You can see that there are 25 unread articles in -@samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some -ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little -asterisk at the beginning of the line?). - -@vindex gnus-group-line-format -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. -@xref{Formatting Variables}. - -@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above. - -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 -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. - -(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like -layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting -instead of wasting time reading news.) - -Here's a list of all available format characters: - -@table @samp - -@item M -An asterisk if the group only has 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 -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 -@samp{m} if moderated. - -@item O -@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 1---this will mean that group names like -@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}. - -@item m -@vindex gnus-new-mail-mark -@cindex % -@samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to -the group lately. - -@item d -A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group -Timestamp}). - -@item u -User defined specifier. 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 dummy -parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will -be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other -specifier. -@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 -group, or a bogus native group. - - -@node Group Modeline Specification -@subsection Group Modeline Specification -@cindex group modeline - -@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format -The mode line can be changed by setting -@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It -doesn't understand that many format specifiers: - -@table @samp -@item S -The native news server. -@item M -The native select method. -@end table - - -@node Group Highlighting -@subsection Group Highlighting -@cindex highlighting -@cindex 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 -(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1 - '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t)))) -(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2 - '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t)))) -(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3 - '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t)))) -(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4 - '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t)))) -(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5 - '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t)))) - -(setq gnus-group-highlight - '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1) - ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2) - ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3) - ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4) - (t . my-group-face-5))) -@end lisp - -Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}. - -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 plus one. -@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 - -All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as -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 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-n -@kindex M-n (Group) -@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level -Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level -(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}). - -@item M-p -@kindex M-p (Group) -@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level -Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level -(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}). -@end table - -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 -Jump to the first group with unread articles -(@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}). -@end table - -@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 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 -Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the -first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no -unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to -this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this -group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N} -determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is -positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is -negative, gnus fetches 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 -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 of 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. If you give a 0 prefix to this command -(i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer, -which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the -summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}). - -@item M-SPACE -@kindex M-SPACE (Group) -@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group -This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET} -command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants -(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}). - -@item M-C-RET -@kindex M-C-RET (Group) -@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally -Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without -doing any processing of its contents -(@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been -turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this -manner will have no permanent effects. - -@end table - -@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup -The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider -to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more -(unread and/or ticked) 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 -@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected -automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command. - -@table @code - -@item nil -Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the -full summary buffer. - -@item t -Select the first unread article when entering the group. - -@item best -Select the highest 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. - - -@node Subscription Commands -@section Subscription Commands -@cindex subscription - -@table @kbd - -@item S t -@itemx u -@kindex S t (Group) -@kindex u (Group) -@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group -@c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe} -Toggle subscription to the current group -(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}). - -@item S s -@itemx U -@kindex S s (Group) -@kindex U (Group) -@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-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 -@c @icon{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 time 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 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 Data -@section Group Data - -@table @kbd - -@item c -@kindex c (Group) -@findex gnus-group-catchup-current -@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook -@c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current} -Mark all unticked articles in this group as read -(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}). -@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called 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}). - -@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 switched 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 - - -@node Group Levels -@section Group Levels -@cindex group level -@cindex level - -All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a -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{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 -Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the -next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be -prompted for a level. -@end table - -@vindex gnus-level-killed -@vindex gnus-level-zombie -@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed -@vindex gnus-level-subscribed -Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to -@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed, -@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and -@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 (completely dead) -(default 9). 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 (e.g. 1 or 2). - -If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care. -Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch -them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing. - -@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed -@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed -Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed} -(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 valid ranges. - -@vindex gnus-keep-same-level -If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands -will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In -particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group -will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be -handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the -rest. - -@vindex gnus-group-default-list-level -All groups with a level less than or equal to -@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer -by default. - -@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. - -@vindex gnus-activate-level -Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups -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 5. The default is 6. - - -@node Group Score -@section Group Score -@cindex group score -@cindex group rank -@cindex rank - -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 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 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) -@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) -@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}). - -@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 - -Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}. - -@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. - - -@node Foreign Groups -@section Foreign Groups -@cindex foreign 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 -@cindex making groups -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, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}. - -@item G r -@kindex G r (Group) -@findex gnus-group-rename-group -@cindex renaming groups -Rename the current group to something else -(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some -groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow -on some backends. - -@item G c -@kindex G c (Group) -@cindex customizing -@findex gnus-group-customize -Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}). - -@item G e -@kindex G e (Group) -@findex gnus-group-edit-group-method -@cindex renaming groups -Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current -group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}). - -@item G p -@kindex G p (Group) -@findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters -Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters -(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}). - -@item G E -@kindex G E (Group) -@findex gnus-group-edit-group -Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info -(@code{gnus-group-edit-group}). - -@item G d -@kindex G d (Group) -@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group -@cindex nndir -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) -@cindex help group -@findex gnus-group-make-help-group -Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}). - -@item G a -@kindex G a (Group) -@cindex (ding) archive -@cindex archive group -@findex gnus-group-make-archive-group -@vindex gnus-group-archive-directory -@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-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 -@cindex nnkiboze -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 -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 -@cindex nneething -Read an arbitrary directory as if it 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 -@cindex nndoc -Make a group based on some file or other -(@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}, -@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run -this command without a prefix, gnus will guess at the file type. -@xref{Document Groups}. - -@item G u -@kindex G u (Group) -@vindex gnus-useful-groups -@findex gnus-group-make-useful-group -Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups} -(@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}). - -@item G w -@kindex G w (Group) -@findex gnus-group-make-web-group -@cindex DejaNews -@cindex Alta Vista -@cindex InReference -@cindex nnweb -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. Valid search engine types -include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}. -@xref{Web Searches}. - -If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search -to a particular group by using a match string like -@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}. - -@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. This command can't be used on -read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though. - -@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}). @xref{Virtual Groups}. - -@item G v -@kindex G v (Group) -@findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual -Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group -(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention. -@end table - -@xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select -methods. - -@vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups -If @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. Also @pxref{Group Levels}; -@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign -newsgroups. - - -@node Group Parameters -@section Group Parameters -@cindex group parameters - -The group parameters store information local to a particular group. -Here's an example group parameter list: - -@example -((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org") - (auto-expire . t)) -@end example - -We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing -before the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. -All the parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, -which are not dotted pairs, but proper lists. - -The following group parameters can be used: - -@table @code -@item to-address -@cindex to-address -Address used by when doing followups and new posts. - -@example -(to-address . "some@@where.com") -@end example - -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 -Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group. - -@example -(to-list . "some@@where.com") -@end example - -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}. - -If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a -@code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter, -then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon -sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}. -@vindex gnus-add-to-list - -If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a -@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon -sending the message. - -@item visible -@cindex visible -If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)}, -that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless -of whether it has any unread articles. - -@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 to-group -@cindex to-group -Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all -posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}. - -@item newsgroup -@cindex newsgroup -If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus -will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles. -This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a -news group. - -@item gcc-self -@cindex gcc-self -If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly -composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If -@code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be -generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will -be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes -precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later -(@pxref{Archived Messages}). - -@item auto-expire -@cindex auto-expire -If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire -. t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an -alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}. - -@item total-expire -@cindex total-expire -If the group parameter has an element that looks like -@code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the -expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with -caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for -expiry. - -@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. All -interactive score entries will be put into this 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 from 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)} say which articles to -display on entering the group. Valid values are: - -@table @code -@item all -Display all articles, both read and unread. - -@item default -Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and -ticked articles. -@end table - -@item comment -Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are -arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by gnus, -but provide a place for you to store information on particular groups. - -@item charset -Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make -@code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be -used for all articles that do not specify a charset. - -@item @var{(variable form)} -You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you -are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers}, -you could 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. - -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 a group, 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 - -Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You -might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic -Parameters}). - - -@node Listing Groups -@section Listing Groups -@cindex group listing - -These commands all list various slices of the groups available. - -@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 (i. e., -@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) 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 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 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 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 unread, subscribed groups with names 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}). - -@item A A -@kindex A A (Group) -@findex gnus-group-list-active -List absolutely all groups 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 groups that -don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were 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 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 - -@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. - -@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. - - -@node Sorting Groups -@section Sorting Groups -@cindex sorting groups - -@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: - -@table @code - -@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet -@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet -Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default. - -@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name -@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name -Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names. - -@item gnus-group-sort-by-level -@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level -Sort by group level. - -@item gnus-group-sort-by-score -@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score -Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}. - -@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}. @xref{Group Score}. - -@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread -@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread -Sort by number of unread articles. - -@item gnus-group-sort-by-method -@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method -Sort alphabetically on the select method. - - -@end table - -@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. - - -There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to -some sorting criteria: - -@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}). @xref{Group Score}. - -@item G S r -@kindex G S r (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank -Sort the group buffer by group rank -(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}. - -@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}). - -@end table - -All the commands below obeys the process/prefix convention -(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these -commands will sort in reverse order. - -You can also sort a subset of the groups: - -@table @kbd -@item G P a -@kindex G P a (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet -Sort the groups alphabetically by group name -(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}). - -@item G P u -@kindex G P u (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread -Sort the groups by the number of unread articles -(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}). - -@item G P l -@kindex G P l (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level -Sort the groups by group level -(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}). - -@item G P v -@kindex G P v (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score -Sort the groups by group score -(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}. - -@item G P r -@kindex G P r (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank -Sort the groups by group rank -(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}. - -@item G P m -@kindex G P m (Group) -@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method -Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name -(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}). - -@end table - - - -@node Group Maintenance -@section Group Maintenance -@cindex bogus groups - -@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}). - -@item F -@kindex F (Group) -@findex gnus-group-find-new-groups -Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}). -With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server -for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible -to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as -zombies. - -@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}). - -@end table - - -@node Browse Foreign Server -@section Browse Foreign Server -@cindex foreign servers -@cindex browsing servers - -@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 - -@findex gnus-browse-mode -A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer -will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well, -a lot) like a normal group buffer. - -Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode: - -@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}). - -@item SPACE -@kindex SPACE (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}). -@end table - - -@node Exiting Gnus -@section Exiting gnus -@cindex exiting gnus - -Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting. - -@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 -@c @icon{gnus-group-exit} -Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}). - -@item Q -@kindex Q (Group) -@findex gnus-group-quit -Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files -(@code{gnus-group-quit}). The dribble file will be saved, though -(@pxref{Auto Save}). -@end table - -@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. - -@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. - -Note: - -@quotation -Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt 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 - - -@node Group Topics -@section Group Topics -@cindex topics - -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! - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{ -\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}} -} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -Here's an example: - -@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 - -@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.) - -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? - -If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to -the hook for the group mode: - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode) -@end lisp - -@menu -* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way. -* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands. -* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually. -* Topic Topology:: A map of the world. -* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic. -@end menu - - -@node Topic Variables -@subsection Topic Variables -@cindex topic variables - -Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is -really neat, I think. - -@vindex gnus-topic-line-format -The topic lines themselves are created according to the -@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). -Valid elements are: - -@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 - -@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 2. - -@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook -@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers. - -@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}. - - -@node Topic Commands -@subsection Topic Commands -@cindex topic commands - -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. - -@table @kbd - -@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 uses the process/prefix -convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@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 uses the process/prefix -convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@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 is mainly useful if you have the same group in several -topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also -remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to -the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups -(which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root -topic. - -This command uses the process/prefix convention -(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@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}). - -@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}). - -@item T H -@kindex T H (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics -Toggle hiding empty topics -(@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}). - -@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}). - -@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 -@itemx TAB -@kindex T TAB (Topic) -@kindex 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 M-TAB -@kindex M-TAB (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-unindent -``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the -parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}). - -@item C-k -@kindex C-k (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-kill-group -Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the -topic will be removed along with the topic. - -@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}). - -@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}. - -@end table - - -@node Topic Sorting -@subsection Topic Sorting -@cindex topic sorting - -You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following -commands: - - -@table @kbd -@item T S a -@kindex T S a (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet -Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name -(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}). - -@item T S u -@kindex T S u (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread -Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles -(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}). - -@item T S l -@kindex T S l (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level -Sort the current topic by group level -(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}). - -@item T S v -@kindex T S v (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score -Sort the current topic by group score -(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}. - -@item T S r -@kindex T S r (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank -Sort the current topic by group rank -(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}. - -@item T S m -@kindex T S m (Topic) -@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method -Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name -(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}). - -@end table - -@xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting. - - -@node Topic Topology -@subsection Topic Topology -@cindex topic topology -@cindex topology - -So, let's have a look at an example group buffer: - -@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 (@samp{Gnus}), 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 -(("Gnus" visible) - (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible) - (("Naughty Emacs" visible))) - (("Misc" visible))) -@end lisp - -@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. - -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}. - - -@node Topic Parameters -@subsection Topic Parameters -@cindex topic parameters - -All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and -ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic -parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). - -Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic -parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You -know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a -verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.) - -@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 - -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 the group @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. - - -@node Misc Group Stuff -@section Misc Group Stuff - -@menu -* Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived. -* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus. -* Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group. -* File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files. -@end menu - -@table @kbd - -@item ^ -@kindex ^ (Group) -@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode -Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}). -@xref{The Server Buffer}. - -@item a -@kindex a (Group) -@findex gnus-group-post-news -Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a -prefix, the current group name will be used as the default. - -@item m -@kindex m (Group) -@findex gnus-group-mail -Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). - -@end table - -Variables for the group buffer: - -@table @code - -@item gnus-group-mode-hook -@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook -is called after the group buffer has been -created. - -@item gnus-group-prepare-hook -@vindex 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 gnus-group-prepared-hook -@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook -is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been -generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance. - -@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. - -@end table - - -@node Scanning New Messages -@subsection Scanning New Messages -@cindex new messages -@cindex scanning new news - -@table @kbd - -@item g -@kindex g (Group) -@findex gnus-group-get-new-news -@c @icon{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 re-reading of the active file(s) from the -backend(s). - -@item M-g -@kindex M-g (Group) -@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group -@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating -@c @icon{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}). -@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is -to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default. - -@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}). - -@item R -@kindex R (Group) -@cindex restarting -@findex gnus-group-restart -Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc} -file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time -gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again. - -@end table - -@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook -@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news. - -@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook -@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new -news. - - -@node Group Information -@subsection Group Information -@cindex group information -@cindex information on groups - -@table @kbd - - -@item H f -@kindex H 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} (or @code{efs}) will be used -for fetching the file. - -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. - -@item H d -@itemx C-c C-d -@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group} -@kindex H d (Group) -@kindex C-c C-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. - -@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 H v -@itemx V -@kindex V (Group) -@kindex H v (Group) -@cindex version -@findex gnus-version -Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}). - -@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) -@cindex info -@cindex manual -@findex gnus-info-find-node -Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}). -@end table - - -@node Group Timestamp -@subsection Group Timestamp -@cindex timestamps -@cindex group timestamps - -It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a -group. To set the ball rolling, you should add -@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}: - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp) -@end lisp - -After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded. - -This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to -use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-group-line-format - "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n") -@end lisp - -This will result in lines looking like: - -@example -* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943 - 0: custom 19961002T012713 -@end example - -As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This -may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say -something like: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-group-line-format - "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n") -@end lisp - - -@node File Commands -@subsection File Commands -@cindex file commands - -@table @kbd - -@item r -@kindex r (Group) -@findex gnus-group-read-init-file -@vindex gnus-init-file -@cindex reading init file -Re-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 -@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. - -@c @item Z -@c @kindex Z (Group) -@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble -@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}). - -@end table - - -@node The Summary Buffer -@chapter The Summary Buffer -@cindex summary buffer - -A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can -move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles. - -The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the -group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}). - -You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish. - -@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. -* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles. -* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer. -* 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 - - -@node Summary Buffer Format -@section Summary Buffer Format -@cindex summary buffer format - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{ -\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}} -\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}} -} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@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 - -@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. Three pre-defined functions exist: -@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite -fast, and too simplistic solution; -@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is -slower; and @code{std11-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. - -@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 @code{""}. - - -@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 as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions -(@pxref{Formatting Variables}). - -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 of the thread or the previous article -had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise. -(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.) -@item F -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 the function designated by the -@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, 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 -This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This -mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached, -or has been saved. - -@item i -Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}). -@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-score} 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{DD-MMM} format. -@item o -The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} 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 -An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the -article has any children. -@item P -The line number. -@item O -Download mark. -@item u -User defined specifier. 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 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 - -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 invalid 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 (@pxref{Mode Line -Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you -like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. - -Here are the elements you can play with: - -@table @samp -@item G -Group name. -@item p -Unprefixed group name. -@item A -Current article number. -@item z -Current article score. -@item V -Gnus version. -@item U -Number of unread articles in this group. -@item e -Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the -summary buffer. -@item Z -A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented -either as @samp{<%U(+%e) 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 -User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}). -@item s -Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}). -@item d -Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}). -@item t -Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread 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 Summary Highlighting -@subsection Summary Highlighting - -@table @code - -@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) 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 of the format @var{(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 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 j -@itemx j -@kindex j (Summary) -@kindex G j (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-goto-article -Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to 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 to the summary line of that article -without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}). -@end table - -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. - -Variables related to summary movement: - -@table @code - -@vindex gnus-auto-select-next -@item gnus-auto-select-next -If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are -no more unread articles after the current one, 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}).) If there are no more -articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article. - -This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display. - -@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. - -@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. - -@end table - - -@node Choosing Articles -@section Choosing Articles -@cindex selecting articles - -@menu -* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles. -* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands. -@end menu - - -@node Choosing Commands -@subsection Choosing Commands - -None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix, -and they all select and display an article. - -@table @kbd -@item SPACE -@kindex SPACE (Summary) -@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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread} -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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread} -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) -@kindex . (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 o -@kindex G o (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-pop-article -@cindex history -@cindex article history -Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article -(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the -command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the -history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles. -For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot), -@pxref{Article Backlog}. -@end table - - -@node Choosing Variables -@subsection Choosing Variables - -Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles: - -@table @code -@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup -@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup -All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next) -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. 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 M-RET -@kindex M-RET (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down -Scroll the current article one line backward -(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}). - -@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) -@kindex A < (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 -@itemx s -@kindex A s (Summary) -@kindex s (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article -Perform an isearch in the article buffer -(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}). - -@item h -@kindex h (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer -Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}). - -@end table - - -@node Reply Followup and Post -@section Reply, Followup and Post - -@menu -* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail. -* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news. -@end menu - - -@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) -@kindex r (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-reply -@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply} -@c @icon{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) -@kindex S R (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original -@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original} -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 w -@kindex S w (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply -Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article -(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that -goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or -@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. - -@item S W -@kindex S W (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original -Mail a wide reply to 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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward} -Forward the current article to some other person -(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full -headers of the forwarded article. - -@item S m -@itemx m -@kindex m (Summary) -@kindex S m (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window -@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate} -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 mu,A_(B sein! - -This command understands the process/prefix convention -(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@item S O m -@kindex S O m (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward -Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the -result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command -uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@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 against 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. - -@end table - -Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information. - - -@node Summary Post Commands -@subsection Summary Post Commands -@cindex post -@cindex composing news - -Commands for posting a news article: - -@table @kbd -@item S p -@itemx a -@kindex a (Summary) -@kindex S p (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-post-news -@c @icon{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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup} -Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}). - -@item S F -@itemx F -@kindex S F (Summary) -@kindex F (Summary) -@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original} -@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original -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 n -@kindex S n (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail -Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the -message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}). - -@item S N -@kindex S N (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original -Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the -message through mail and include the original message -(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses -the process/prefix convention. - -@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}). If given a prefix, include the full -headers of the forwarded article. - -@item S O p -@kindex S O p (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward -@cindex digests -@cindex making digests -Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup -(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the -process/prefix convention. - -@item S u -@kindex S u (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-post-news -@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news} -Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series -(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}). -@end table - -Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information. - - -@node Canceling and Superseding -@section Canceling Articles -@cindex canceling articles -@cindex superseding articles - -Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really, -really, really wish you hadn't posted that? - -Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts. - -@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article -@kindex C (Summary) -@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article} -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. -This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -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 -question. - -Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you -want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic -prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). - -If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some -corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace -your original article. - -@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article -@kindex S (Summary) -Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s} -(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer -where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the -usual way. - -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. - -If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away, -there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without -waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return -to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will -find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change -the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes} -header by substituting one of those words for the word -@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 -@cindex article ticking -@cindex marks - -There are several marks you can set on an article. - -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}. - -In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness. - -@menu -* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles. -* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles. -* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness. -@end menu - -@ifinfo -There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks: -@end ifinfo - -@menu -* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks. -* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing. -@end menu - - -@node Unread Articles -@subsection Unread Articles - -The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or -other. - -@table @samp -@item ! -@vindex gnus-ticked-mark -Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}). - -@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If -you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off -reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically -tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an -article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent -Articles}). - -@item ? -@vindex gnus-dormant-mark -Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}). - -@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there -are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have -followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}). - -@item SPACE -@vindex gnus-unread-mark -Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}). - -@dfn{Unread articles} 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 r -@vindex gnus-del-mark -These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d} -command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}). - -@item R -@vindex gnus-read-mark -Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}). - -@item O -@vindex gnus-ancient-mark -Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now -@dfn{old} (@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 too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}). - -@item C -@vindex gnus-catchup-mark -Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}). - -@item G -@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. -They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though. - -One more special mark, though: - -@table @samp -@item E -@vindex gnus-expirable-mark -Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}). - -Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such -automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't -control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance, -articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at any time. -@end table - - -@node Other Marks -@subsection Other Marks -@cindex process mark -@cindex bookmarks - -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 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. @xref{Setting Marks} - -@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 stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in -the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching} - -@item -@vindex gnus-saved-mark -Articles ``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 -If 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} 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 -instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view -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 - -All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix. - -@table @kbd -@item M c -@itemx M-u -@kindex M c (Summary) -@kindex M-u (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward -@cindex mark as unread -Clear all readedness-marks from the current article -(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the -article as unread. - -@item M t -@itemx ! -@kindex ! (Summary) -@kindex M t (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward -Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}). -@xref{Article Caching} - -@item M ? -@itemx ? -@kindex ? (Summary) -@kindex M ? (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant -Mark the current article as dormant -(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching} - -@item M d -@itemx d -@kindex M d (Summary) -@kindex 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) -@kindex M k (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select -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) -@kindex C-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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup} -Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}). - -@item M C-c -@kindex M C-c (Summary) -@findex 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 e -@itemx E -@kindex M e (Summary) -@kindex 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 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 -Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default -score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark -(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}). -@end table - -@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 i -@kindex M P i (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable -Invert the list of process marked articles -(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}). - -@item M P R -@kindex M P R (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp -Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches 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. - -All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched -from the servers. None of these commands query the server for -additional articles. - -@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 not marked as read -(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the -buffer to articles 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 been marked -with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). - -@item / t -@kindex / t (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age -Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days -(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to -articles younger than that number of days. - -@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 -Include all expunged articles in the limit -(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}). - -@item / D -@kindex / D (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant -Include all dormant articles in the limit -(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}). - -@item / * -@kindex / * (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached -Include all cached articles in the limit -(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}). - -@item / d -@kindex / d (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant -Exclude all dormant articles from the limit -(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}). - -@item / T -@kindex / T (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread -Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit. - -@item / c -@kindex / c (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant -Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit -(@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 responses -to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a -hierarchical fashion. - -Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the -articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty -trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken -or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem, -so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A -plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in -@pxref{Customizing Threading}. - -First, a quick overview of the concepts: - -@table @dfn -@item root -The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread. - -@item thread -A tree-like article structure. - -@item sub-thread -A small(er) section of this tree-like structure. - -@item loose threads -Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root -already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the -summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really -belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are -called loose threads. - -@item thread gathering -An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads. - -@item sparse threads -A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are -displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer. - -@end table - - -@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 - -@menu -* Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads. -* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller. -* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads. -* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong! -@end menu - - -@node Loose Threads -@subsubsection Loose Threads -@cindex < -@cindex > -@cindex loose threads - -@table @code -@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: - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{ -\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}} -\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}} -\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}} -\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}} -} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@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-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 subject 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 (@pxref{Fuzzy -Matching}). - -@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 -@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-simplify-subject-functions -@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions -If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides -@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a -list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to -arrive at the simplified version of the string. - -Useful functions to put in this list include: - -@table @code -@item gnus-simplify-subject-re -@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re -Strip the leading @samp{Re:}. - -@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy -@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy -Simplify fuzzily. - -@item gnus-simplify-whitespace -@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace -Remove excessive whitespace. -@end table - -You may also write your own functions, of course. - - -@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 include unrelated -articles, but it 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 - -@end table - - -@node Filling In Threads -@subsubsection Filling In Threads - -@table @code -@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 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. - -This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any -visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot -(@pxref{Finding the Parent}). - -@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 -together articles that belong in the same thread. 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. - -@end table - - -@node More Threading -@subsubsection More Threading - -@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-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-expunge-below -@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below -All threads that have a total score (as defined by -@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be -expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no -threads are expunged. - -@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 4. - -@end table - - -@node Low-Level Threading -@subsubsection Low-Level Threading - -@table @code - -@item gnus-parse-headers-hook -@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook -Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is -@code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of -@code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable -@code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}. - -@item gnus-alter-header-function -@vindex gnus-alter-header-function -If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of -article header structures. The function is called with one parameter, -the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance, -if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s -in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this -variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more -meaningful. Here's one example: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id) - -(defun my-alter-message-id (header) - (let ((id (mail-header-id header))) - (when (string-match - "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id) - (mail-header-set-id - (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id)) - header)))) -@end lisp - -@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 (sub-)thread -(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}). - -@item T i -@kindex T i (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread -Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread -(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}). - -@item T # -@kindex T # (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread -Set the process mark on the current (sub-)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 (sub-)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 (sub-)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 current article's thread -(@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 it -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 fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy -Matching}). - - -@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 returns 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-total-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 -it 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 -@cindex article pre-fetch -@cindex pre-fetch - -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 gnus-use-article-prefetch -You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting -@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means -that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch -the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will -pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is -@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done. - -@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p -@findex gnus-async-read-p -There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read -articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should -return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be -pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns -@code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article -data structure as the only parameter. - -If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter -than 100 lines, you could say something like: - -@lisp -(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data) - "Return non-nil for short, unread articles." - (and (gnus-data-unread-p data) - (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data)) - 100))) - -(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p) -@end lisp - -These functions will be called many, many times, so they should -preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much. It's -probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this. - -@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy -Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The -@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove -articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements: - -@table @code -@item read -Remove articles when they are read. - -@item exit -Remove articles when exiting the group. -@end table - -The default value is @code{(read exit)}. - -@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch -@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles -@c from the next group. - - -@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 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-selecting 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 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, score them, 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. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is -to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will -not then be downloaded by this command. - -@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups -@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups -It is likely that you do not want caching on all 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 @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a -regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the -@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance. -Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both -variables, the group is not cached. - -@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 -@c @icon{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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file} -Save the current article in plain file format -(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}). - -@item O F -@kindex O F (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file -Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous -file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-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}, which creates capitalized names. - -@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 -File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}. - -@item gnus-numeric-save-name -@findex gnus-numeric-save-name -File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}. - -@item gnus-Plain-save-name -@findex gnus-Plain-save-name -File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}. - -@item gnus-plain-save-name -@findex gnus-plain-save-name -File names 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. - -Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have -lots of mail groups called things like -@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of -these group names before creating the file name to save to. The -following will do just that: - -@lisp -(defun my-save-name (group) - (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group) - (substring group (match-end 0)))) - -(setq gnus-split-methods - '((gnus-article-archive-name) - (my-save-name))) -@end lisp - - -@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 top level 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-saver '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 top level 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. -* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles. -* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript. -* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex. -* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding. -* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding? -@end menu - -@cindex series -@cindex article series -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 non-standard, 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 -@c @icon{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 Shell Archives -@subsection Shell Archives -@cindex unshar -@cindex shell archives -@cindex shared articles - -Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute -sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have -some commands to deal with these: - -@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 Other Files -@subsection Other Files - -@table @kbd -@item X o -@kindex X o (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-decode-save -Save the current series -(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}). - -@item X b -@kindex X b (Summary) -@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex -Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This -doesn't really work yet. -@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 of 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 after 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-be-dangerous -@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous -Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If -@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things -that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each -time. - -@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 unsuccessfully -decoded articles 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-pre-uudecode-hook -@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook -Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}. - -@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 is 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 is 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 Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice. -* 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 highlighting - -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 -@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight -Do much highlighting of the current article -(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited -text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head. - -Most users would prefer using @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight} in -@code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}) instead. -This is a bit less agressive---it highlights only the headers, the -signature and adds buttons. - -@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 -(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) 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 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}). -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 - -@xref{Customizing Articles} for how to highlight articles automatically. - - -@node Article Fontisizing -@subsection Article Fontisizing -@cindex emphasis -@cindex article emphasis - -@findex gnus-article-emphasize -@kindex W e (Summary) -People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things -like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by -running the article through the @kbd{W e} -(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command. - -@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist -How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the -@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first -element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number -that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire -emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping -should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two -groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for -highlighting. - -@lisp -(setq gnus-article-emphasis - '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline) - ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold))) -@end lisp - -@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline -@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold -@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic -@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold -@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic -@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic -@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic -By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces: -@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic}, -@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic}, -@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic}, -@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and -@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}. - -If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x -customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want -to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could -say something like: - -@lisp -(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic) -@end lisp - -@xref{Customizing Articles} for how to fontize articles automatically. - - -@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 quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer -(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide -headers, PGP, cited text and the signature. - -@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 -@vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook -Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The -@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp} -signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify -articles that have signatures in them do: -@lisp -;;; Hide pgp cruft if any. - -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp) - -;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message; -;;; only happens if pgp signature is found. - -(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook - (lambda () - (save-excursion - (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer) - (mc-verify)))) -@end lisp - -@item W W P -@kindex W W P (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-hide-pem -Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft -(@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-cited-opened-text-button-line-format -@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format -@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format -@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format -Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to -allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified -by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These -specs are valid: - -@table @samp -@item b -Starting point of the hidden text. -@item e -Ending point of the hidden text. -@item l -Number of characters in the hidden region. -@item n -Number of lines of 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-c -@kindex W W C-c (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe - -Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the -following two variables: - -@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 have at least this length (default 10) before it -is hidden. -@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. - -@xref{Customizing Articles} for how to hide article elements -automatically. - - -@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}). @xref{Misc Article} for page -delimiters. - -@item W r -@kindex W r (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message -@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message} -Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer -(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}). -Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13. -(Typically offensive jokes and such.) - -It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13 -positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter -#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar -is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption. - -@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 display the article as @sc{mime} message -(@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 d -@kindex W d (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes -Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). - -@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. - -You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use -when filling. - -@item W c -@kindex W c (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-remove-cr -Remove CR (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) -(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}). - -@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 -@iftex -@iflatex -\include{xface} -@end iflatex -@end iftex -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}). -@xref{Article 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}). - -@item W E A -@kindex W E A (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines -Remove all blank lines -(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}). - -@item W E s -@kindex W E s (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space -Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article -body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}). - -@end table - -@xref{Customizing Articles} for how to wash articles automatically. - - -@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 when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse -button on these references. - -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 matches embedded URLs: -@samp{]*\\)>}. - -@item button-par -Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This -is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be -highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 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 -("]*\\)>" 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 buttons. - -@item gnus-article-mouse-face -@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face -Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button. - -@end table - -@xref{Customizing Articles} for how to buttonize articles automatically. - - -@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 i -@kindex W T i (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601 -@cindex ISO 8601 -Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601 -(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}). - -@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 s -@kindex W T s (Summary) -@vindex gnus-article-time-format -@findex gnus-article-date-user -@findex format-time-string -Display the date using a user-defined format -(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the -@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed -to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable -for a list of possible format specs. - -@item W T e -@kindex W T e (Summary) -@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed -@findex gnus-start-date-timer -@findex gnus-stop-date-timer -Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now -(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). If you want to have this line -updated continually, you can put - -@lisp -(gnus-start-date-timer) -@end lisp - -in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If -you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer} -command. - -@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 are -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 - -@xref{Customizing Articles} for how to display the date in your -preferred format automatically. - - -@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. Here's an example: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-signature-limit - '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article")) -@end lisp - -This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature -separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by -the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a -signature after all. - - -@node MIME Commands -@section MIME Commands -@cindex MIME decoding - -@table @kbd -@item W M w -@kindex W M w (Summary) -Decode RFC2047-encoded words in the article headers -(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}). - -@item W M c -@kindex W M c (Summary) -Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets -(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}). - -This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the -charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a -prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional -groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include -MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to -the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}). - -@end table - - -@node Article Commands -@section Article Commands - -@table @kbd - -@item A P -@cindex PostScript -@cindex printing -@kindex A P (Summary) -@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook -@findex gnus-summary-print-article -Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer -(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be -run just before printing the buffer. - -@end table - - -@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-l -@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines -Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}). - -@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 - -@table @kbd -@item ^ -@kindex ^ (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article -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. - -@item A R (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-refer-references -@kindex A R (Summary) -Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the -article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}). - -@item A T (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread -@kindex A T (Summary) -Display the full thread where the current article appears -(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the -headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If -you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers} -to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any -visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot -faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow. - -@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit -The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e., -articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to -fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all -the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden -by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix. - -@item M-^ (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-refer-article -@kindex M-^ (Summary) -@cindex Message-ID -@cindex fetching by Message-ID -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, hard-to-read 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. -@end table - -The current select method will be used when fetching by -@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this -by giving this command a prefix. - -@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 one -updating the spool you are reading from, 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 at 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{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use -a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary -buffer the articles she wants to read. 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 provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer. - -Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode: - -@table @kbd -@item . -@kindex . (Pick) -@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread -Pick the article or thread on the current line -(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable -@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the -entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise, -it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that -thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed -at 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-pick-unmark-article-or-thread. -Unpick the thread or article -(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable -@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the -thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks -just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick -the thread or article at that line. - -@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 - -All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the -pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available -which is mapped to the same function -@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}. - -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 from 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 -The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g} -command, when you have turned on this mode -(@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 (@pxref{Mode -Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list -of valid 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. - -Valid 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}. Note that if you -have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree -buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all -other windows displayed next to it. - -@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 an 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 - -If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees -side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the -following to your @file{.gnus.el} file: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-use-trees t - gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree - gnus-tree-minimize-window nil) -(gnus-add-configuration - '(article - (vertical 1.0 - (horizontal 0.25 - (summary 0.75 point) - (tree 1.0)) - (article 1.0)))) -@end lisp - -@xref{Windows Configuration}. - - -@node Mail Group Commands -@section Mail Group Commands -@cindex mail group commands - -Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are -invalid 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 -Delete all the expirable articles in the group -(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all} -articles 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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete} -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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy} -Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group -(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). - -@item B B -@kindex B B (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-respool-article}). -@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default -select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default, -which means that the current group select method will be used instead. - -@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}). If you give a prefix to the -@kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article. - -@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 t -@kindex B t (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace -Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used -when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}). - -@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. - -@lisp -(setq gnus-move-split-methods - '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk") - ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important") - (".*" "nnml:misc"))) -@end lisp - - -@node Various Summary Stuff -@section Various Summary Stuff - -@menu -* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands. -* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands. -* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer. -* 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 -have been set. - -@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook -@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook -It 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. - -@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook -@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook -A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been -generated. - -@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates -@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates -When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID}, -it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the -same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some -sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable. -If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the -@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as -any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the -article---it'll be as if it never existed. - -@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} or @code{efs} will probably -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 an extremely 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}). If given a prefix, search -backward instead. - -@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 Summary Generation Commands -@subsection Summary Generation Commands - -@table @kbd - -@item Y g -@kindex Y g (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-prepare -Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}). - -@item Y c -@kindex Y c (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles -Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer -(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). - -@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 of -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}). This will probably confuse the -line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea -to have truncation switched off while reading articles. - -@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. - -@item M-C-e -@kindex M-C-e (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters -Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current -group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}). - -@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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit} -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, which calls -@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default. -@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit -process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to -group mode having no more (unread) groups. - -@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 -@c @icon{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 -@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get} -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}). - -@item Z s -@kindex Z s (Summary) -@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc -Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer -and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If -given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this -command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless. -@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, @pxref{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 crossposting mechanism -(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient -approach may not work satisfactory 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 where @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 preferable 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 with 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 read in a single gnus -session are suppressed. - -@item gnus-duplicate-list-length -@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length -This variable 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 in. 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 to mime articles as @sc{mime} messages. -* 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 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} field -and the @code{Xref} field, you might say: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:") -@end lisp - -This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers 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 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 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 newsgroups -Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group -name. -@item date -Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days -old. -@item long-to -Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long. -@item many-to -Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one. -@end table - -To include the four three elements, you could say something like; - -@lisp -(setq gnus-boring-article-headers - '(empty 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-article-display-method-for-mime -@vindex gnus-strict-mime -@findex gnus-article-display-mime-message -Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through -@code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is -@code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function -calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more -information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not -existed yet, sorry). - -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. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} -set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article -buffer. These can't be avoided. - -In GNUS or Gnus, 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 screaming 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. - -To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use -@code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to -non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article -buffer when there are nobody else. - - -@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 -@findex gnus-article-maybe-hide-headers -By default this hook just contains -@code{gnus-article-maybe-hide-headers}, -@code{gnus-hide-boring-headers}, @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, -and @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight} (and under XEmacs, -@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}), 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}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect -things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results. - -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{C-c ^}, 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-decode-hook -@item gnus-article-decode-hook -@cindex MIME -Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is -@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)} - -@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. - -@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table -@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table -Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from -@code{text-mode-syntax-table}. - -@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} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). 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} -(formfeed). -@end table - - -@node Composing Messages -@chapter Composing Messages -@cindex composing messages -@cindex messages -@cindex mail -@cindex sending mail -@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. -* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are. -* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages. -* 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. - -@item gnus-add-to-list -@vindex gnus-add-to-list -If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups -that have none when you do a @kbd{a}. - -@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 send 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. - -Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as -you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of -groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to -@code{current}. - - -@node Mail and Post -@section Mail and Post - -Here's a list of variables 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 -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 matches 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 and news you -send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to -store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the -@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which -is the default. - -@vindex gnus-message-archive-method -@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to -use to store sent messages. The default is: - -@lisp -(nnfolder "archive" - (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive") - (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active") - (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil) - (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)) -@end lisp - -You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml}, -@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method -for doing this sort of thing, though. 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 used to do the following: - -@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 - -(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.) - -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 messages. Gnus offers a -different way 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. - -@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). - -This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group}, -but the latter is the preferred method. -@end table - - -@node Posting Styles -@section Posting Styles -@cindex posting styles -@cindex styles - -All them variables, they make my head swim. - -So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based -on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine -and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so -on? - -@vindex gnus-posting-styles -One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the -variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody -came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in -a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles} -variable: - -@lisp -((".*" - (signature "Peace and happiness") - (organization "What me?")) - ("^comp" - (signature "Death to everybody")) - ("comp.emacs.i-love-it" - (organization "Emacs is it"))) -@end lisp - -As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several -@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element -``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated -over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be -applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override -the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So -@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody} -signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header. - -The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a -string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name. -If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no -arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be -referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In -any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said -to @dfn{match}. - -Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each -attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name -can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file}, -@code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The -attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as -a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the -article. - -The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the -return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a -list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used). - -If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is -meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values -of the two dynamically bound variables @code{message-this-is-news} and -@code{message-this-is-mail}. - -@vindex message-this-is-mail -@vindex message-this-is-news - -So here's a new example: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-posting-styles - '((".*" - (signature-file "~/.signature") - (name "User Name") - ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME")) - (organization "People's Front Against MWM")) - ("^rec.humor" - (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer)) - ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") - (signature my-quote-randomizer)) - (message-this-is-news - (signature my-news-signature)) - (posting-from-work-p - (signature-file "~/.work-signature") - (address "user@@bar.foo") - (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.") - (organization "Important Work, Inc")) - ("^nn.+:" - (signature-file "~/.mail-signature")))) -@end lisp - - -@node Drafts -@section Drafts -@cindex drafts - -If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that -you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you -craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save -the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some -other day, and send it when you feel its finished. - -Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of -some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will -automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group. -If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the -article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft -group.) - -@cindex nndraft -@vindex nndraft-directory -The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an -@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called -@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where -@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is -that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as -read---all articles in the group are permanently unread. - -If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed -to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to -unsubscribe it. - -@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. - -@findex gnus-draft-edit-message -@kindex D e (Draft) -When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the -draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do -that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off. - -Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected -Articles}). - -@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages -@findex gnus-draft-send-message -If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without -doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command -(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the -process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S} -command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages -in the buffer. - -If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the -@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message -as unsendable. This is a toggling command. - - -@node Rejected Articles -@section Rejected Articles -@cindex rejected articles - -Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server -doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps -@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text. -Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down. - -These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus. -(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels -fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text -you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these -articles until some later time when the server feels better. - -The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group -(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then -typically enter that group and send all the articles off. - - -@node Select Methods -@chapter Select Methods -@cindex foreign groups -@cindex select methods - -A @dfn{foreign group} is a group 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 (e.g. @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 -@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. -* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline. -@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 method 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 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, use 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. -* Server Variables:: Which variables to set. -* 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 (@pxref{Mode Line -Formatting}). 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}). - -@item s -@kindex s (Server) -@findex gnus-server-scan-server -Request that the server scan its sources for new articles -(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail -servers. - -@item g -@kindex g (Server) -@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server -Request that the server regenerate all its data structures -(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have -a mail backend that has gotten out of synch. - -@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 an arbitrary number of -@var{(variable form)} pairs. - -To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from -port 15 on 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 -your 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 - -If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp} -server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin} -on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server. -Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition -should probably look something like this: - -@lisp -(nntp "firewall" - (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine") - (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin) - (nntp-end-of-line "\n") - (nntp-rlogin-parameters - ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp"))) -@end lisp - -If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a -compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual -server that would look something like this: - -@lisp -(nntp "news" - (nntp-address "copper.uio.no") - (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh") - (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin) - (nntp-end-of-line "\n") - (nntp-rlogin-parameters - ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp"))) -@end lisp - -This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to -provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed -connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the -@code{ssh} @file{config} file. - - -@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 Server Variables -@subsection Server Variables - -One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs -in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other -variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you -change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you -won't change the "derived" variables. - -This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance, -@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml} -directory variables are initialized from that variable, so -@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a -new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just -@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file -variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of -variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this -manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition: - -@lisp -(nnml "public" - (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/") - (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active") - (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups")) -@end lisp - - -@node Servers and Methods -@subsection Servers and Methods - -Wherever you would normally use a select method -(e.g. @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 on server -@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far -away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just -to find out that it refuses connection to 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 any 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 -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 it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the -@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be -present in this hook. - -@item nntp-authinfo-function -@vindex nntp-authinfo-function -@findex nntp-send-authinfo -@vindex nntp-authinfo-file -This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp} -server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks -through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the -@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none -are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The -format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the -@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp} -manual page, but here are the salient facts: - -@enumerate -@item -The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server. - -@item -Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The -valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password}, -@samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid -@file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the -@file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file -format.) - -@end enumerate - -Here's an example file: - -@example -machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis -machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes -@end example - -The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't -have to be first, for instance. - -In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the -former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the -user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the -@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the -@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not -@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server -until the @var{nntp} server asks for it. - -You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers -that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines. - -@example -default force yes -@end example - -This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not -previously mentioned. - -Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable. - -@item nntp-server-action-alist -@vindex nntp-server-action-alist -This is a 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. - -@c @item nntp-command-timeout -@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout -@c @cindex PPP connections -@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses -@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned -@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine -@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit -@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this -@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will -@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that -@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend -@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A -@c likely number is 30 seconds. -@c -@c @item nntp-retry-on-break -@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break -@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus -@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout -@c 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-telnet -@findex nntp-open-network-stream -@item nntp-open-connection-function -@vindex nntp-open-connection-function -This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made -functions are supplied: - -@table @code -@item nntp-open-network-stream -This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the -remote system. - -@item nntp-open-rlogin -Does an @samp{rlogin} on the -remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server -available there. - -@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables: - -@table @code - -@item nntp-rlogin-program -@vindex nntp-rlogin-program -Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh}, -but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative. - -@item nntp-rlogin-parameters -@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters -This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}. - -@item nntp-rlogin-user-name -@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name -User name on the remote system. - -@end table - -@item nntp-open-telnet -Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet} -to get to the @sc{nntp} server. - -@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables: - -@table @code -@item nntp-telnet-command -@vindex nntp-telnet-command -Command used to start @code{telnet}. - -@item nntp-telnet-switches -@vindex nntp-telnet-switches -List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command. - -@item nntp-telnet-user-name -@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name -User name for log in on the remote system. - -@item nntp-telnet-passwd -@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd -Password to use when logging in. - -@item nntp-telnet-parameters -@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters -A list of strings executed as a command after logging in -via @code{telnet}. - -@item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt -@vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt -Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is -@samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}. - -@item nntp-open-telnet-envuser -@vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser -If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both) -will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name. -This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance. - -@end table - -@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream -@item nntp-open-ssl-stream -Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this -you must have SSLay installed -(@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need -@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then -define a server as follows: - -@lisp -;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing. -;; -;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services -;; -(nntp "snews.bar.com" - (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream) - (nntp-port-number "snews") - (nntp-address "snews.bar.com")) -@end lisp - -@end table - -@item nntp-end-of-line -@vindex nntp-end-of-line -String to use as end-of-line marker 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 automatically whether @sc{nov} -can be used. - -@item nntp-xover-commands -@vindex nntp-xover-commands -@cindex nov -@cindex XOVER -List of strings 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 will not need. 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. The default is 5. - -@item nntp-prepare-server-hook -@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook -A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server. - -@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. - -@item nntp-record-commands -@vindex nntp-record-commands -If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the -@sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*} -buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection -that doesn't seem to work. - -@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 that -contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for -instance. - -Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (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 to the active file. - -@item nnspool-newsgroups-file -@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file -The path to the group descriptions file. - -@item nnspool-history-file -@vindex nnspool-history-file -The path to the news history file. - -@item nnspool-active-times-file -@vindex nnspool-active-times-file -The path to 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. -* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get. -* 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 @code{nnml} 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 -last 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. The first string may -contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to -insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance: - -@lisp -("list.\\1" "From:.*\\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com") -@end lisp - -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. (These rules are -processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first -rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled. -In that case, all matching rules will "win".) - -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 group 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} 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 file 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.) - -@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history -@kindex nnmail-split-history -If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you -can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. - -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. - -@code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes. - -Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before -compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it -switched off. - -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 a mail backend reads a spool file, mail 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-encoded-words -@findex RFC1522 decoding -@findex RFC2047 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 performed -in the buffer will show up in any files. -@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} 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 incoming mail to -- while processing -it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend -inhabits (e.g., @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}. - -This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called -with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved -to. - -@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{t} by -default. - -@c This is @code{nil} by -@c default for reasons of security. - -@c 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. (Except certain versions -of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure not -to lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what -was lost. - -You may 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 -(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of -@code{nnfolder} backend) 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. - -@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids -@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids -If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into -the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication -discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}. - -@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: - -@enumerate - -@item -@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group -name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for -examples. - -@item -@var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of -which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if -header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp). - -@item -@var{(| 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 -@var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is -@code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list. - -@item -@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save -this message. Use with extreme caution. - -@item -@var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first -element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a -function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return -a SPLIT. - -@item -@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored. - -@end enumerate - -In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name. -@var{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. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in -@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs. - -@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist -@var{FIELD} and @var{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 @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated -value. - -@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table -@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect -when all this splitting is performed. - -If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some -information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like -substitutions in the group names), you can say things like: - -@example -(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1") -@end example - -If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously -matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1} -up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the -groupings 1 through 9. - - -@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. - -If you have a combined @code{procmail}/POP/mailbox setup, you can do -something like the following: - -@vindex nnmail-use-procmail -@lisp -(setq nnmail-use-procmail t) -(setq nnmail-spool-file - '("/usr/spool/mail/my-name" "po:my-name")) -@end lisp - -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) by hand what -groups exist. - -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 directly 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 (i.e., the article with the highest -article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important. - -Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in -@file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i.e., the incoming -spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The -@code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the -@code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}. - -@lisp -(setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/") -(setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail) -(setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/") -(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder ""))) -(setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "") -@end lisp - - -@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 to 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's buffer -(@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 marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first -column in the summary buffer. - -By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the -articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread -before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable -automatically, you can put something like the following in your -@file{.gnus} file: - -@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook -@lisp -(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook - 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read) -(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read) -@end lisp - -Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read -articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable -will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make -groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will -mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups. - -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. - -If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and -auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring -don't really mix very well. - -@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait -The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an -expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the -message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. 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 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 either be a number (not -necessarily an integer) or one of 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! - -Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though. - - -@node Washing Mail -@subsection Washing Mail -@cindex mail washing -@cindex list server brain damage -@cindex incoming mail treatment - -Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really, -really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly -prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the -end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!'' -Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were -considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are. - -Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW: -} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to -be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to -laugh. - -Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while -displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before -storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and -various functions that can be put in these hooks. - -@table @code -@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook -@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook -This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for -grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include: - -@table @code -@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr -@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr -Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on -Emacs running on MS machines. - -@end table - -@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook -@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook -This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when -cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include: - -@table @code -@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace -@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace -Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the -headers to make them look nice. Aaah. - -@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers -@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers -Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the -beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for -people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove -strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can -also be a list of regexp. - -For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the -@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers: - -@lisp -(setq nnmail-list-identifiers - '("(idm)" "nagnagnag")) -@end lisp - -@item nnmail-remove-tabs -@findex nnmail-remove-tabs -Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters. - -@end table - -@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook -@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook -This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used -include: - -@table @code -@item article-de-quoted-unreadable -@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable -Decode Quoted Readable encoding. - -@end table -@end table - - -@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 lists, you will sometimes -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 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 corresponding -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 it 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. A better interface to this -functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server -Commands}). - - -@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. - -@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook -@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook -@cindex backup files -Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal -backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you -wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in -your @file{.emacs} file: - -@lisp -(defun turn-off-backup () - (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t)) - -(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup) -@end lisp - -@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook -@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook -Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted. -This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to -extract some information from it before removing it. - -@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} (and its -successor @code{efs}), 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 the @code{ange-ftp} file name -@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name, -@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} 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 (e.g. 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-parts -MIME multipart messages, besides digests. - -@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{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934}, -@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{mime-digest}, -@code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-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 valid 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 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 for 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 space; 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 a given type @code{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 valid 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. - -First some terminology: - -@table @dfn - -@item server -This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you -get news and/or mail from. - -@item home machine -This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding -on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way. - -@item packet -Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds -of packets: - -@table @dfn -@item message packets -These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of -messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by -default, where @var{X} is a number. - -@item response packets -These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains -replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by -default, where @var{X} is a number. - -@end table - -@end table - - -@enumerate - -@item -You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either -use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you -can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O -s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}). - -@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 on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as -the native or secondary server. - -@item -You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you -want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}). - -@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 - -These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets. - -@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 @sc{soup} 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 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@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. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default. - -@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 be 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 default 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}. - -@item nnsoup-always-save -@vindex nnsoup-always-save -If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message. - -@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 w} 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 (@pxref{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 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',Aj(Btre} 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{dejanewsold}, @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 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. -For instance, 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 - -The following pre-defined functions exist: - -@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation -@table @code - -@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation -Creates a @code{To} header that looks like -@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}. - -@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation - -@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation -Creates a @code{To} header that looks like -@code{nngateway-address}. - -Here's an example: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-post-method - '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com" - (nngateway-header-transformation - nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation))) -@end lisp - -@end table - - -@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 -@cindex merging 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 groups, 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\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$" -@end example - -(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you -shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote -characters at the beginning and the end of the string.) - -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 included in a virtual -group have 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 have a component group in -common. 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. - -@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups. -When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual} -has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from -whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^}, -there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this, -and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a -not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.) - -@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups} -line from the article you respond to in these cases. - - - -@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. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze} -and @code{nnvirtual} end. - -In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group -must have a score file to say what articles 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 component 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 have been searched through to find component articles. - -Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have -their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file. - - -@node Gnus Unplugged -@section Gnus Unplugged -@cindex offline -@cindex unplugged -@cindex Agent -@cindex Gnus Agent -@cindex Gnus Unplugged - -In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders -on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport -was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to -read news. Believe it or not. - -Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of -modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it -would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up -the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you -have to make. And then you repeat the procedure. - -Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used -@code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail} -for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server -functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person -reading news on a machine. - -Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. - -@itemize @bullet -@item -First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine -that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting -here. - -@item -Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your -@file{.gnus.el} file: - -@lisp -(gnus-agentize) -@end lisp -@end itemize - -That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader. - -Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands. - -@menu -* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work. -* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download. -* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers. -* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away. -* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something? -* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun. -* Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people. -* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job. -@end menu - - -@node Agent Basics -@subsection Agent Basics - -First, let's get some terminology out of the way. - -The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the -connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case). -When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the -Agent is @dfn{plugged}. - -The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't -connected to the net continuously. - -@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local -machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite. - -Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent. - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus -Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have -already fetched while in this mode. - -@item -You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect -your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j} -to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}. - -@item -You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news -onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J -s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus -know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.) - -@item -After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become -unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And -then you read the news offline. - -@item -And then you go to step 2. -@end itemize - -Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use -the Agent. - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail -backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the -Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press -@kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the -Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the -primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer. - -@item -Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories} - -@item -Uhm... that's it. -@end itemize - - -@node Agent Categories -@subsection Agent Categories - -One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the -newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download. -There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to -find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better -to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then -mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that -you're interested in the articles anyway. - -The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a -@dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category. -Gnus has its own buffer for creating and managing categories. - -@menu -* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like. -* The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories. -* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us. -@end menu - - -@node Category Syntax -@subsubsection Category Syntax - -A category consists of two things. - -@enumerate -@item -A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles -are eligible for downloading; and - -@item -a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when -deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download -score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.) -@end enumerate - -A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as -@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available -article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special -predicates an additional score rule is superfluous. - -Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of -their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and -@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below. - -To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for -download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical -operators sprinkled in between. - -Perhaps some examples are in order. - -Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used -for all groups that don't belong to any other category.) - -@lisp -short -@end lisp - -Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is -short (for some value of ``short''). - -Here's a more complex predicate: - -@lisp -(or high - (and - (not low) - (not long))) -@end lisp - -This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score, -or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the -drift. - -The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and -@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators -@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.) - -The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what -you want to do, you can write your own. - -@table @code -@item short -True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article} -lines; default 100. - -@item long -True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article} -lines; default 200. - -@item low -True iff the article has a download score less than -@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0. - -@item high -True iff the article has a download score greater than -@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0. - -@item spam -True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The -heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a -checksum and sees whether articles match. - -@item true -Always true. - -@item false -Always false. -@end table - -If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have -to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the -@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to -useful values. - -For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles -that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted -more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function -something along the lines of the following: - -@lisp -(defun my-article-old-p () - "Say whether an article is old." - (< (time-to-day (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers))) - (- (time-to-day (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days))) -@end lisp - -with the predicate then defined as: - -@lisp -(not my-article-old-p) -@end lisp - -or you could append your predicate to the predefined -@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or -wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after* -@code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)}) - -@lisp -(defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist - (append gnus-category-predicate-alist - '((old . my-article-old-p)))) -@end lisp - -and simply specify your predicate as: - -@lisp -(not old) -@end lisp - -If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many -misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not -always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people -just don't give a damm. - - -The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the -category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an -individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a -new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group -parameters like so: - -@lisp -(agent-predicate . short) -@end lisp - -This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category -default. Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, -the @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair -notation. - -The equivalent of the longer example from above would be: - -@lisp -(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long))) -@end lisp - -The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not -entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the -predicate is assumed to be a list. - - -Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of -normal score files, except that all elements that require actually -seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the -following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From}, -@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars}, -@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}. - -As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule} -to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if -it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters -if it's to be specific to that group. - -In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of -three forms: - -@table @code -@enumerate -@item -Score rule - -This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a -subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above. - -example: - -@itemize @bullet -@item -Category specification - -@lisp -(("from" - ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s)) -("lines" - (500 -100 nil <))) -@end lisp - -@item -Group Parameter specification - -@lisp -(agent-score ("from" - ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s)) - ("lines" - (500 -100 nil <))) -@end lisp - -Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here. -@end itemize - -@item -Agent score file - -These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords -stated above. - -example: - -@itemize @bullet -@item -Category specification - -@lisp -("~/News/agent.SCORE") -@end lisp - -or perhaps - -@lisp -("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE") -@end lisp - -@item -Group Parameter specification - -@lisp -(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE") -@end lisp - -Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything -about parenthesis. -@end itemize - -@item -Use @code{normal} score files - -If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and -your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your -@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your -@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download. - -These directives in either the category definition or a group's -parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score -files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not -relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords. - -@itemize @bullet -@item -Category Specification - -@lisp -file -@end lisp - -@item -Group Parameter specification - -@lisp -(agent-score . file) -@end lisp -@end itemize -@end enumerate -@end table - -@node The Category Buffer -@subsubsection The Category Buffer - -You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer. -When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from -the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category. - -The following commands are available in this buffer: - -@table @kbd -@item q -@kindex q (Category) -@findex gnus-category-exit -Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}). - -@item k -@kindex k (Category) -@findex gnus-category-kill -Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}). - -@item c -@kindex c (Category) -@findex gnus-category-copy -Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}). - -@item a -@kindex a (Category) -@findex gnus-category-add -Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}). - -@item p -@kindex p (Category) -@findex gnus-category-edit-predicate -Edit the predicate of the current category -(@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}). - -@item g -@kindex g (Category) -@findex gnus-category-edit-groups -Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category -(@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}). - -@item s -@kindex s (Category) -@findex gnus-category-edit-score -Edit the download score rule of the current category -(@code{gnus-category-edit-score}). - -@item l -@kindex l (Category) -@findex gnus-category-list -List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}). -@end table - - -@node Category Variables -@subsubsection Category Variables - -@table @code -@item gnus-category-mode-hook -@vindex gnus-category-mode-hook -Hook run in category buffers. - -@item gnus-category-line-format -@vindex gnus-category-line-format -Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting -Variables}). Valid elements are: - -@table @samp -@item c -The name of the category. - -@item g -The number of groups in the category. -@end table - -@item gnus-category-mode-line-format -@vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format -Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). - -@item gnus-agent-short-article -@vindex gnus-agent-short-article -Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100. - -@item gnus-agent-long-article -@vindex gnus-agent-long-article -Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200. - -@item gnus-agent-low-score -@vindex gnus-agent-low-score -Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default -0. - -@item gnus-agent-high-score -@vindex gnus-agent-high-score -Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default -0. - -@end table - - -@node Agent Commands -@subsection Agent Commands - -All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j} -(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and -toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent. - - -@menu -* Group Agent Commands:: -* Summary Agent Commands:: -* Server Agent Commands:: -@end menu - -You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the -following incantation: - -@cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch -@example -$ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch -@end example - - - -@node Group Agent Commands -@subsubsection Group Agent Commands - -@table @kbd -@item J u -@kindex J u (Agent Group) -@findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups -Fetch all eligible articles in the current group -(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}). - -@item J c -@kindex J c (Agent Group) -@findex gnus-enter-category-buffer -Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}). - -@item J s -@kindex J s (Agent Group) -@findex gnus-agent-fetch-session -Fetch all eligible articles in all groups -(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). - -@item J S -@kindex J S (Agent Group) -@findex gnus-group-send-drafts -Send all sendable messages in the draft group -(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). @xref{Drafts} - -@item J a -@kindex J a (Agent Group) -@findex gnus-agent-add-group -Add the current group to an Agent category -(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). - -@end table - - -@node Summary Agent Commands -@subsubsection Summary Agent Commands - -@table @kbd -@item J # -@kindex J # (Agent Summary) -@findex gnus-agent-mark-article -Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}). - -@item J M-# -@kindex J M-# (Agent Summary) -@findex gnus-agent-unmark-article -Remove the downloading mark from the article -(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}). - -@item @@ -@kindex @@ (Agent Summary) -@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark -Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). - -@item J c -@kindex J c (Agent Summary) -@findex gnus-agent-catchup -Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}). - -@end table - - -@node Server Agent Commands -@subsubsection Server Agent Commands - -@table @kbd -@item J a -@kindex J a (Agent Server) -@findex gnus-agent-add-server -Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent -(@code{gnus-agent-add-server}). - -@item J r -@kindex J r (Agent Server) -@findex gnus-agent-remove-server -Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus -Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}). - -@end table - - -@node Agent Expiry -@subsection Agent Expiry - -@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days -@findex gnus-agent-expire -@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire -@cindex Agent expiry -@cindex Gnus Agent expiry -@cindex expiry - -@code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special -@code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that -are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run -whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not -particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to -interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it. - -@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all -if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will -expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil} -(which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and -unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely. - - -@node Outgoing Messages -@subsection Outgoing Messages - -When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are -stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there -after posting, and edit them at will. - -When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the -draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use -the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable -messages in the draft group. - - - -@node Agent Variables -@subsection Agent Variables - -@table @code -@item gnus-agent-directory -@vindex gnus-agent-directory -Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is -@file{~/News/agent/}. - -@item gnus-agent-handle-level -@vindex gnus-agent-handle-level -Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will -be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed}, -which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent -by default. - -@item gnus-agent-plugged-hook -@vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook -Hook run when connecting to the network. - -@item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook -@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook -Hook run when disconnecting from the network. - -@end table - - -@node Example Setup -@subsection Example Setup - -If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard -setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your -@file{.gnus.el} file to get started. - -@lisp -;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP -;;; from your ISP's server. -(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "nntp.your-isp.com")) - -;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from -;;; your ISP's POP server. -(setenv "MAILHOST" "pop.your-isp.com") -(setq nnmail-spool-file "po:username") - -;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups. -(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml ""))) - -;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader. -(gnus-agentize) -@end lisp - -That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, -edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x -gnus}. - -If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed -automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to -subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the -@sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A} -command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it -once. - -After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of -groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u} -command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've -subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring -back all the killed groups.) - -You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles -with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to -find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize. - - -@node Batching Agents -@subsection Batching Agents - -Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've -written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The -following shell script will do everything that is necessary: - -@example -#!/bin/sh -emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null -@end example - - - -@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 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. -* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files. -* 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 (e.g. @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 -@kindex 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 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 cache (@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}). - -@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.) - -@findex gnus-summary-increase-score -@findex gnus-summary-lower-score - -@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 r -Score on 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. - -@item t -Score on thread. - -@end table - -@item -The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid 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 (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}). - -@item r -Regexp matching -@end table - -@item date -@table @kbd - -@item b -Before date. - -@item a -After 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}. - -These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix -(@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower -(or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a} -says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the -current score file. - -@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 - -You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like: - -@findex gnus-batch-score -@cindex batch scoring -@example -$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score -@end example - - -@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 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-summary-expunge-below -@vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below -Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than -this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no -articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers, -and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}. - -@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. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance, -@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. - -The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will -try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score -files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score -file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements. - -@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}, 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. - -@item gnus-score-thread-simplify -@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify -If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified -for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with -threading---according to the current value of -gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses -@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be -simplified in this manner. - -@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 most score file elements. For a different -approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}. - -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 valid 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 BCE. - -@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{<=}. - -These predicates are true if - -@example -(PREDICATE HEADER MATCH) -@end example - -evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match -@code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the -following form: - -@lisp -(< header-value 4) -@end lisp - -Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as -the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines. -(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But -it's not. I think.) - -When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like -@code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends -up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if -you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines. - -@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.) - -@cindex ISO8601 -@cindex date -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---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. 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 is somewhat special, in that it will match the -@code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching -articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows -you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or -decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known -trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header -uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} -files.) - -@item Thread -This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match -key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a -@samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each -article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new -@samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching -articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an -entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have -complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to -undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match -key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.) -@end table -@end enumerate - -@cindex Score File Atoms -@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. These 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}). (Note: -@dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal -apply-to-all-groups 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. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated. -@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. - -If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all -the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll -probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and -adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well. - -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 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-constituent characters. - -@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum -If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive -word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to -below this number. The default is @code{nil}. - -@vindex gnus-adative-word-no-group-words -If @code{gnus-adative-word-no-group-words} is set to t, gnus won't -adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful for -groups like comp.editors.emacs, where most of the subject lines contain -the word "emacs". - -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. - -Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is -likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate -that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more -rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful. - - -@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: - -@findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file -@lisp -(setq gnus-home-score-file - 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file) -@end lisp - -This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience. -Other functions include - -@table @code -@item gnus-current-home-score-file -@findex gnus-current-home-score-file -Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring -commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file. - -@end table - -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 -precedence 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 - - -@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" - ("" - 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 the score file -@file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and -all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-global-score-files - '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/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 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. - -Normal 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 the -marked articles 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. - -Two summary 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}). - -@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 - -Two group mode functions for editing the kill files: - -@table @kbd - -@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}). - -@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-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 just called @file{KILL}. - -@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. - -@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-kill-file-mode-hook -@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook -A hook called in kill-file mode buffers. - -@end table - - -@node Converting Kill Files -@section Converting Kill Files -@cindex kill files -@cindex converting kill files - -If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into -score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use -the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it -by hand. - -The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default. -You can fetch it from -@file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}. - -If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more -non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by -hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as -before. - - -@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 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. - -@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). -@samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only -better bit in town at the moment. - -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 pseudonym 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 - -That's 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 - -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 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 - -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 valid 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 +/- confidence. - -@end table - - -@node GroupLens Variables -@subsection GroupLens Variables - -@table @code - -@item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format -The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. 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}. - -@item grouplens-bbb-host -Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the -default. - -@item grouplens-bbb-port -Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000. - -@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. - -@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. - -@end table - - -@node Advanced Scoring -@section Advanced Scoring - -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 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? - -By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex -scoring patterns. - -@menu -* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition. -* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like. -* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it. -@end menu - - -@node Advanced Scoring Syntax -@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax - -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. - -These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection -operator, and various match operators. - -Logical operators: - -@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}. - -@item ! -@itemx not -@itemx ,A,(B -This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the -logical negation of the value of its argument. - -@end table - -There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments -apply to the ancestors 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 rules apply to the -grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write -@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into -the ancestry you want to go. - -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. - - -@node Advanced Scoring Examples -@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples - -Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars -when he's talking about Gnus: - -@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}, @samp{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-decay-score-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-decay-score-function} -function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the -definition of that function: - -@lisp -(defun gnus-decay-score (score) - "Decay SCORE. -This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant' -and `gnus-score-decay-scale'." - (floor - (- score - (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1) - (min (abs 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 magnitudes 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. -* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options. -* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like. -* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows. -* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look. -* 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. -* Undo:: Some actions can be undone. -* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator. -* XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs. -* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz? -* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email. -* Various Various:: Things that are really various. -@end menu - - -@node Process/Prefix -@section Process/Prefix -@cindex process/prefix convention - -Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving -articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}. - -This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the -command to be performed on. - -It goes like this: - -If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N -articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is -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 marked with -the process mark. - -If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the -process mark, just perform the operation on the current article. - -Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises -are avoided. - -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}). - -@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. - - -@node Interactive -@section Interactive -@cindex interaction - -@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. This is @code{t} by -default. - -@item gnus-expert-user -@vindex gnus-expert-user -If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any -questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no -matter how strange. - -@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. - -@item gnus-interactive-exit -@vindex gnus-interactive-exit -Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by -default. -@end table - - -@node Symbolic Prefixes -@section Symbolic Prefixes -@cindex symbolic prefixes - -Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For -instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and -@kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score -rule of 900 to the current article. - -This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some -additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the -``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one -doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer, -for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup -file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the -same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way. - -@kindex M-i (Summary) -@findex gnus-symbolic-argument -I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The -prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next -character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i} -prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} -command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means -``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and -@code{b}''. You get the drift. - -Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't -hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus -functions make use of the symbolic prefix. - -If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended -Interactive}. - - -@node Formatting Variables -@section Formatting Variables -@cindex formatting variables - -Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables 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. - -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. - -@menu -* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string. -* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables. -* 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 - -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}. - -All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that -case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines. - -@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. - - - -@node Formatting Basics -@subsection Formatting Basics - -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''. - -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. - -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. - - -@node Mode Line Formatting -@subsection Mode Line Formatting - -Mode line formatting variables (e.g., -@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other, -buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics}) -with the following two differences: - -@enumerate - -@item -There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end. - -@item -The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name. -Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote -@samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled, -so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line -display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of -mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the -@code{mode-line-format} variable. - -@end enumerate - - -@node Advanced Formatting -@subsection Advanced Formatting - -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}. - -These are the valid modifiers: - -@table @code -@item pad -@itemx pad-left -Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required -length. - -@item pad-right -Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required -length. - -@item max -@itemx max-left -Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length. - -@item max-right -Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified -length. - -@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 - -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 enormously by running @kbd{M-x -gnus-compile} when you are satisfied 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@{}, 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: - -@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 - -I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable -and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun! - -Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the -mode-line variables. - - -@node Windows Configuration -@section Windows Configuration -@cindex windows configuration - -No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet. - -@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. - -Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are -glitches. Use at your own peril. - -@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 - -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. - -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 - - -@lisp -(article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point) - (article 1.0))) -@end lisp - -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. - -Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element -@code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf -split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or -fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is -present) gets focus. - -Here's a more complicated example: - -@lisp -(article (vertical 1.0 (group 4) - (summary 0.25 point) - (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4)) - (article 1.0))) -@end lisp - -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. - -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: - -@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 - -Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that -@code{horizontal} thingie? - -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. - -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. - -To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split -may look like: - -@example -split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form -frame = "(frame " size *split ")" -horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")" -vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")" -buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")" -size = number | frame-params -buffer-name = group | article | summary ... -@end example - -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. - -@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 - -You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the -@code{frame} split: - -@lisp -(gnus-configure-frame - '(frame 1.0 - (vertical 1.0 - (summary 0.25 point frame-focus) - (article 1.0)) - (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15) - (user-position . t) - (left . -1) (top . 1)) - (picon 1.0)))) - -@end lisp - -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}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be -accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)} -is such a plist. - -Here's a list of all possible keys for -@code{gnus-buffer-configuration}: - -@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}, and @code{score-trace}. - -Note that the @code{message} key is used for both -@code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If -it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this -might be used: - -@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 - -@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: - -@lisp -(gnus-add-configuration - '(article (vertical 1.0 - (group 4) - (summary .25 point) - (article 1.0)))) -@end lisp - -You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your -@file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after -Gnus has been loaded. - -@vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration -If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus -won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the -``right'' window configuration, you can set -@code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}. - - -@node Faces and Fonts -@section Faces and Fonts -@cindex faces -@cindex fonts -@cindex colors - -Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days -it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out -the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize -interface. - - -@node Compilation -@section Compilation -@cindex compilation -@cindex byte-compilation - -@findex gnus-compile - -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.) - -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.) - - -@node Mode Lines -@section Mode Lines -@cindex mode lines - -@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. - -@cindex display-time - -@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 (e.g. 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 (e.g. a clock), you should modify -this variable: - -@c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` -@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 - -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. Note -that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage -complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should -configure this variable appropriately for her configuration. - - -@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 Gnus-prettifying -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 valid, 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 according to @code{gnus-article-display-hook} 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 - -So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all -buffers, you could say something like: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu)) -@end lisp - -If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-visual '(highlight)) -@end lisp - -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-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}. - -@end table - -There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus: - -@table @code - -@item gnus-article-menu-hook -@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook -Hook called after creating the article mode menu. - -@item gnus-group-menu-hook -@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook -Hook called after creating the group mode menu. - -@item gnus-summary-menu-hook -@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook -Hook called after creating the summary mode menu. - -@item gnus-server-menu-hook -@vindex gnus-server-menu-hook -Hook called after creating the server mode menu. - -@item gnus-browse-menu-hook -@vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook -Hook called after creating the browse mode menu. - -@item gnus-score-menu-hook -@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook -Hook called after creating the score mode menu. - -@end table - - -@node Buttons -@section Buttons -@cindex buttons -@cindex mouse -@cindex click - -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. - - -@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-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 - -All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list -are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and -the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string. - - -@node Daemons -@section Daemons -@cindex demons -@cindex daemons - -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. - -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. - -Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has -been idle for thirty minutes: - -@lisp -(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30) -@end lisp - -Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is -idle: - -@lisp -(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t) -@end lisp - -This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together -in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is -@code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes. - -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 @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. - -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. - -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-demon-timestep -(When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep} -seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable, -all the timings in the handlers will be affected.) - -@vindex gnus-use-demon -To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set -@code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}. - -So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in -your @file{.gnus} file: - -@findex gnus-demon-add-handler -@lisp -(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t) -@end lisp - -@findex gnus-demon-add-nocem -@findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail -@findex gnus-demon-add-rescan -@findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps -@findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection -Some ready-made functions to do this have been created: -@code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection}, -@code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection}, -@code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, 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 over do 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{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins" -"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" -"rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" -"jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.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 -John Milburn---despammer located in Korea 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. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM -messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type} -header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous -definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf}, -@samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use -@var{(issuer conditions ...)} elements in the list. Each condition is -either a string (which is a regexp that matches types you want to use) -or a list on the form @code{(not STRING)}, where @var{string} is a -regexp that matches types you don't want to use. - -For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his -@samp{troll} messages, you'd say: - -@lisp -("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll")) -@end lisp - -On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and -@samp{spew} messages, you'd say: - -@lisp -("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam") -@end lisp - -The specs are applied left-to-right. - - -@item gnus-nocem-verifyer -@vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer -@findex mc-verify -This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she -says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt -function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification -(which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}. - -If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages -not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify) - -(defun my-gnus-mc-verify () - (not (eq 'forged - (ignore-errors - (if (mc-verify) - t - 'forged))))) -@end lisp - -This might be dangerous, though. - -@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 - -Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living -(i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow -big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your -unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}). - - -@node Undo -@section Undo -@cindex undo - -It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal -Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button. -In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple. - -The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to -Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user. -Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line -disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the -removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures. -Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs -@code{undo} function. - -Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user -does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user -takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run -the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions. -However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers -a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups, -yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups. -That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each -added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will -never be totally undoable. - -@findex gnus-undo-mode -@vindex gnus-use-undo -@findex gnus-undo -The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It -is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the -default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command -command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo} -command. - - -@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@@gnus.org} 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 -(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate) -@end lisp - -in your @file{.gnus.el} file. - -If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's -supposed to work: - -@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---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}. - -@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. - -@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 - -To use moderation mode in these two groups, say: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-moderated-list - "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$") -@end lisp - - -@node XEmacs Enhancements -@section XEmacs Enhancements -@cindex XEmacs - -XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken -advantage of that. - -@menu -* Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading. -* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown. -* Toolbar:: Click'n'drool. -* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables. -@end menu - - -@node Picons -@subsection Picons - -@iftex -@iflatex -\include{picons} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -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 Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with. -@end menu - - -@node Picon Basics -@subsubsection Picon Basics - -What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site: - -@iftex -@iflatex -\margindex{} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@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 - -@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url -If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve -Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting -@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @* -@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}. - -@vindex gnus-picons-database -Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on -obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @* -@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects -picons to be installed into a location pointed to by -@code{gnus-picons-database}. - - -@node Picon Requirements -@subsubsection Picon Requirements - -To 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{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To -display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one, -you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs. - -@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face -If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have -the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise 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 -@subsubsection Easy Picons - -To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your -@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus. - -@lisp -(setq gnus-use-picons t) -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook - 'gnus-article-display-picons t) -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook - 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face) -@end lisp - -and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory -containing the Picons databases. - -Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this: - -@lisp -(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url - "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch") -@end lisp - - -@node Hard Picons -@subsubsection Hard Picons - -@iftex -@iflatex -\margindex{} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -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 select where to get the picons from, and where to -display them. - -@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. This is only useful if -@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to -@file{/usr/local/faces/}. - -@item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url -@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url -The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known -engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To -workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If -this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local -database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}. - -@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---@pxref{Windows Configuration}. - -@item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups -@vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups -Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons -displayed. - -@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 those 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 displays 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-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' -for the append flag of @code{add-hook}: - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t) -@end lisp - - -@node Picon Useless Configuration -@subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration - -@iftex -@iflatex -\margindex{} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -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-news-directories -@vindex gnus-picons-news-directories -List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for -newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default. - -@item gnus-picons-user-directories -@vindex gnus-picons-user-directories -List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user -faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default. - -@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 -If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is 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-has-modeline-p -@vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p -If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your -XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you -can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will -remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if -@code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}. - -@item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display -@vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display -If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons. -Defaults to @code{nil}. - -@item gnus-picons-display-as-address -@vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address -If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures. -Defaults to @code{t}. - -@item gnus-picons-file-suffixes -@vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes -Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to -@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs. - -@item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p -@vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p -Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This -has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'. - -@item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown -@vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown -Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every -picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search -process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil}, -Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call -@code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be -cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}. - -@iftex -@iflatex -\margindex{} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@end table - -@node Smileys -@subsection Smileys -@cindex smileys - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}} -\input{smiley} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is -currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here. - -In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your -@file{.gnus.el} file: - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-smiley-display t) -@end lisp - -Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and -the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley -faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches -text and maps that to file names. - -@vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist -@vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist -Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default: -@code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(} -and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches -@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on). - -The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable, -which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}. - -The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second -element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture; -and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed. - -The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these -files, as well as the color to be used and stuff: - -@table @code - -@item smiley-data-directory -@vindex smiley-data-directory -Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. - -@item smiley-flesh-color -@vindex smiley-flesh-color -Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist. - -@item smiley-features-color -@vindex smiley-features-color -Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}. - -@item smiley-tongue-color -@vindex smiley-tongue-color -Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}. - -@item smiley-circle-color -@vindex smiley-circle-color -Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}. - -@item smiley-mouse-face -@vindex smiley-mouse-face -Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face. - -@end table - - -@node Toolbar -@subsection Toolbar - -@table @code - -@iftex -@iflatex -\margindex{} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@item gnus-use-toolbar -@vindex gnus-use-toolbar -If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be -one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar}, -@code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}. - -@item gnus-group-toolbar -@vindex gnus-group-toolbar -The toolbar in the group buffer. - -@item gnus-summary-toolbar -@vindex gnus-summary-toolbar -The toolbar in the summary buffer. - -@item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar -@vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar -The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups. - -@end table - - -@node XVarious -@subsection Various XEmacs Variables - -@table @code -@item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory -@vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory -This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally -auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an -unusual directory structure. - -@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist -@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist -This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the -foreground and background color of the splash page glyph. - -@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style -@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style -This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above. -Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss}, -@code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape}, -@code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}. - -@item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph -@vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph -A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by -default. - -@iftex -@iflatex -\margindex{} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@end table - - - - -@node Fuzzy Matching -@section Fuzzy Matching -@cindex fuzzy matching - -Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing -things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison. - -As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy. -It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness} -means, and the implementation has changed over time. - -Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing. -@samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered -out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to -adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text -manglers masquerading as newsreaders. - - -@node Thwarting Email Spam -@section Thwarting Email Spam -@cindex email spam -@cindex spam -@cindex UCE -@cindex unsolicited commercial email - -In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about -and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can -foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many -people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From} -lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for -people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as -well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may -perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself -in the end. - -The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under -false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I -have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the -mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements -(``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'') -and one mail asking me to repent and find some god. - -This is annoying. - -The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a -@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). - -First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and -put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've -chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form -@samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your -sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local -part of the mail address.) - -@lisp -(setq message-default-news-headers - "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen \n") -@end lisp - -Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} -(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}): - -@lisp -( - ... - (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no" - (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc") - ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc") - "spam")) - ... -) -@end lisp - -This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a -@code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References} -header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group. -(This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.) - -In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server -and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To} -header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this -thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just -put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending -your fancy split rule in this way: - -@lisp -( - ... - (to "larsi" "misc") - "spam") -@end lisp - -In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right -group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to -check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net -citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on -each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure. - -If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining -automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE -at @* @file{}. -Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the -cosmic balance somewhat. - -This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can -just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with -spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point -to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion. - - -@node Various Various -@section Various Various -@cindex mode lines -@cindex highlights - -@table @code - -@item gnus-home-directory -All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which -defaults to @file{~/}. - -@item gnus-directory -@vindex gnus-directory -Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable, -which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or -@file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set. - -Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read. -This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this -variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in -@file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead. - -@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 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} or @code{efs}. - -@item nnheader-head-chop-length -@vindex nnheader-head-chop-length -This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to -read when doing the operation described above. - -@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist -@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist -@cindex file names -@cindex invalid 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 invalid 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 two 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.stud.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. - -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?) - -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. - -The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it -was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases -plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases). - -In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99 -releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases). - -On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on -January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases). - -On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 -releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6 on March 8th 1998. - -If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name -- -``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' -- -don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. -Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're -out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up -to that instead. - -@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 - - -@node Why? -@subsection 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 thousands of new articles each day? How do you -keep track of millions of people who post? - -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 it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting -every one of you to explore and invent. - -May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and -@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}. - - -@node Compatibility -@subsection Compatibility - -@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. - -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. - -The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding -Articles}. - -One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary -buffers. All variables 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. - -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. - -@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! - -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.) - -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. - -Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files. - -@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}. - -@vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer -If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you -may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set -@code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop -up at you. - - -@node Conformity -@subsection Conformity - -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. - -@table @strong - -@item RFC 822 -@cindex RFC 822 -There are no known breaches of this standard. - -@item RFC 1036 -@cindex RFC 1036 -There are no known breaches of this standard, either. - -@item Son-of-RFC 1036 -@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036 -We do have some breaches to this one. - -@table @emph - -@item MIME -Gnus does not yet fully handle MIME, 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. -@end table - -@item USEFOR -@cindex USEFOR -USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based -on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing -various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will -look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC. - -@end table - -If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts -mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us -know. - - -@node Emacsen -@subsection Emacsen -@cindex Emacsen -@cindex XEmacs -@cindex Mule -@cindex Emacs - -Gnus should work on : - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -Emacs 20.2 and up. - -@item -XEmacs 20.4 and up. - -@end itemize - -Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not -reliably, at least. - -There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various -platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but -other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all -Emacsen. - - -@node Contributors -@subsection Contributors -@cindex contributors - -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 , yup, I'll release it right away no wait, that doesn't -work at all , yup, I'll ship that one off right away 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''?) - -I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops, -wrong show. - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}. - -@item -Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as -well as numerous other things). - -@item -Luis Fernandes---design and graphics. - -@item -Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff. - -@item -Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on -@dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}). - -@item -Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code. - -@item -Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section -(@pxref{GroupLens}). - -@item -Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes. - -@item -Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}. - -@item -Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes. - -@item -Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets. - -@item -Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus -distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ. - -@item -Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite. - -@item -Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code. - -@item -Ken Raeburn---POP mail support. - -@item -Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with -.newsrc files. - -@item -Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}. - -@item -David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things. - -@item -Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him. - -@item -Fran,Ag(Bois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as -well as autoconf support. - -@end itemize - -This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark -Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual. - -The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions: - -Christopher Davis, -Andrew Eskilsson, -Kai Grossjohann, -David K,Ae(Bgedal, -Richard Pieri, -Fabrice Popineau, -Daniel Quinlan, -Jason L. Tibbitts, III, -and -Jack Vinson. - -Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff: - -Jari Aalto, -Adrian Aichner, -Vladimir Alexiev, -Russ Allbery, -Peter Arius, -Matt Armstrong, -Marc Auslander, -Frank Bennett, -Robert Bihlmeyer, -Chris Bone, -Mark Borges, -Mark Boyns, -Lance A. Brown, -Kees de Bruin, -Martin Buchholz, -Joe Buehler, -Kevin Buhr, -Alastair Burt, -Joao Cachopo, -Zlatko Calusic, -Massimo Campostrini, -Castor, -David Charlap, -Dan Christensen, -Kevin Christian, -Michael R. Cook, -Glenn Coombs, -Frank D. Cringle, -Geoffrey T. Dairiki, -Andre Deparade, -Ulrik Dickow, -Dave Disser, -Rui-Tao Dong, @c ? -Joev Dubach, -Michael Welsh Duggan, -Dave Edmondson, -Paul Eggert, -Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami -Michael Ernst, -Luc Van Eycken, -Sam Falkner, -Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira, -Sigbjorn Finne, -Paul Fisher, -Decklin Foster, -Gary D. Foster, -Paul Franklin, -Guy Geens, -Arne Georg Gleditsch, -David S. Goldberg, -Michelangelo Grigni, -D. Hall, -Magnus Hammerin, -Kenichi Handa, @c Handa -Raja R. Harinath, -Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ? -P. E. Jareth Hein, -Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige -Marc Horowitz, -Gunnar Horrigmo, -Richard Hoskins, -Brad Howes, -Fran,Ag(Bois Felix Ingrand, -Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa -Lee Iverson, -Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro -Rajappa Iyer, -Andreas Jaeger, -Randell Jesup, -Fred Johansen, -Gareth Jones, -Simon Josefsson, -Greg Klanderman, -Karl Kleinpaste, -Peter Skov Knudsen, -Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi -Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki -Thor Kristoffersen, -Jens Lautenbacher, -Martin Larose, -Seokchan Lee, @c Lee -Carsten Leonhardt, -James LewisMoss, -Christian Limpach, -Markus Linnala, -Dave Love, -Mike McEwan, -Tonny Madsen, -Shlomo Mahlab, -Nat Makarevitch, -Istvan Marko, -David Martin, -Jason R. Mastaler, -Gordon Matzigkeit, -Timo Metzemakers, -Richard Mlynarik, -Lantz Moore, -Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka -Erik Toubro Nielsen, -Hrvoje Niksic, -Andy Norman, -Fred Oberhauser, -C. R. Oldham, -Alexandre Oliva, -Ken Olstad, -Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi -Hideki Ono, @c Ono -William Perry, -Stephen Peters, -Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen, -Ulrich Pfeifer, -Matt Pharr, -John McClary Prevost, -Bill Pringlemeir, -Mike Pullen, -Jim Radford, -Colin Rafferty, -Lasse Rasinen, -Lars Balker Rasmussen, -Joe Reiss, -Renaud Rioboo, -Roland B. Roberts, -Bart Robinson, -Christian von Roques, -Jason Rumney, -Wolfgang Rupprecht, -Jay Sachs, -Dewey M. Sasser, -Conrad Sauerwald, -Loren Schall, -Dan Schmidt, -Ralph Schleicher, -Philippe Schnoebelen, -Andreas Schwab, -Randal L. Schwartz, -Justin Sheehy, -Danny Siu, -Matt Simmons, -Paul D. Smith, -Jeff Sparkes, -Toby Speight, -Michael Sperber, -Darren Stalder, -Richard Stallman, -Greg Stark, -Sam Steingold, -Paul Stodghill, -Kurt Swanson, -Samuel Tardieu, -Teddy, -Chuck Thompson, -Philippe Troin, -James Troup, -Trung Tran-Duc, -Aaron M. Ucko, -Aki Vehtari, -Didier Verna, -Jan Vroonhof, -Stefan Waldherr, -Pete Ware, -Barry A. Warsaw, -Christoph Wedler, -Joe Wells, -Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka -and -Shenghuo Zhu. @c Zhu - -For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs -included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading -(550kB and counting). - -Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm -sure. - -Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there -actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it! - - -@node New Features -@subsection New Features -@cindex new features - -@menu -* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus. -* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3. -* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5. -* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7. -@end menu - -These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the -@emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more. -Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect. - - -@node ding Gnus -@subsubsection (ding) Gnus - -New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1: - -@itemize @bullet - -@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}). - -@item -You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}). - -@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}). - -@item -Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups -(@pxref{Group Levels}). - -@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}). - -@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}). - -@item -Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up -the @file{.emacs} file. - -@item -You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform -operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). - -@item -You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the -results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}). - -@item -You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything -(@pxref{Listing Groups}). - -@item -You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those -servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}). - -@item -Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the -server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}). - -@item -You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}). - -@item -The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized -(@pxref{Decoding Articles}). - -@item -You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature -of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}). - -@item -Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without -glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}). - -@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}). - -@item -Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing -Articles}). - -@item -URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article -Buttons}). - -@item -You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame -configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}). - -@item -You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard -(@pxref{Buttons}). - -@end itemize - - -@node September Gnus -@subsubsection September Gnus - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3: - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables -for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are -now obsolete. - -@item -Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where -missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing -Threading}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some) -@end lisp - -@item -Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server -(@pxref{Archived Messages}). - -@item -Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are -referred. - -@item -Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}). - -@item -Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}). - -@item -A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-use-trees t) -@end lisp - -@item -An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary -buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}). - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode) -@end lisp - -@item -In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary -Groups}). - -@item -Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group -Topics}). - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode) -@end lisp - -@item -Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}). - -@item -Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency -is possible (@pxref{Group Score}). - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group) -@end lisp - -@item -Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on -groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}). - -@item -Caching is possible in virtual groups. - -@item -@code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews -news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything -else (@pxref{Document Groups}). - -@item -Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets -(@pxref{SOUP}). - -@item -The Gnus cache is much faster. - -@item -Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting -Groups}). - -@item -New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and -expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}). - -@item -All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used -(@pxref{Formatting Fonts}). - -@item -There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process -marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}). - -@item -The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available -articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been -bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}). - -@item -Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command -(@pxref{Persistent Articles}). - -@item -All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles. - -@item -Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}). - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook - 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head) -@end lisp - -@item -All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}. - -@item -Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}). - -@item -All summary mode commands are available directly from the article -buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}). - -@item -Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows -Configuration}). - -@item -Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}). -@iftex -@iflatex -\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@item -Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-use-nocem t) -@end lisp - -@item -Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:") -@end lisp - -@item -Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier. - -@item -Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header. - -@item -Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header -(@pxref{Customizing Threading}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function - 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references) -@end lisp - -@item -Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid -refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-keep-backlog 50) -@end lisp - -@item -A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate -buffer to allow easier treatment. - -@item -Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}). - -@item -Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving -Articles}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t) -@end lisp - -@item -@code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching -articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view) -@end lisp - -@item -Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text -(@pxref{Article Washing}). - -@item -Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much -cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2) -@end lisp - -@item -Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}). - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook - 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t) -@end lisp - -@item -Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar. - -@item -Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added. - -@end itemize - - -@node Red Gnus -@subsubsection Red Gnus - -New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5: - -@iftex -@iflatex -\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -@file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion. - -@item -Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into -Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}). - -@item -Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and}, -@code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced -Scoring}). - -@item -Article washing status can be displayed in the -article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}). - -@item -@file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files. - -@item -Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done -(@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t) -@end lisp - -@item -New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be -considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have -been added. - -@item -@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document -Server Internals}). - -@item -Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic -Parameters}). - -@item -Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable. - -@item -Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions -(@pxref{Article Signature}). - -@item -Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line -numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick -articles (@code{Pick and Read}). - -@item -Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to -another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}). - -@item -There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed -when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}). - -@item -Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_} -(@pxref{Undo}). - -@item -Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w} -(@pxref{Score File Format}). - -@item -Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis -(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word)) -@end lisp - -@item -Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}). - -@lisp -(setq gnus-decay-scores t) -@end lisp - -@item -Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is -normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}). - -@item -A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from -the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}). - -@item -A new command for reading collections of documents -(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d} -(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}). - -@item -Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process -Marks}). - -@item -A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP -server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}). - -@item -A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines -(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added -(@pxref{Web Searches}). - -@item -Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting -functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic -Sorting}). - -@item -Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting -Groups}). - -@item -Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation -Commands}). -@iftex -@iflatex -\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@item -Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score -Variables}). - -@item -Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting -Mail}). - -@item -More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming -mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}). - -@item -Emphasized text can be properly fontisized: - -@lisp -(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook - 'gnus-article-emphasize) -@end lisp - -@end itemize - - -@node Quassia Gnus -@subsubsection Quassia Gnus - -New features in Gnus 5.6: - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been -added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See -@pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story. - -@item - The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than -before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft} -group, which is created automatically. - -@item -@code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header -values. - -@item - @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's. - -@item - A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message -outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}. - -@item - You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with -@kbd{C-u C-c C-c}. - -@item - @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization. - -@item - @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit -re-highlighting of the article buffer. - -@item - New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}. - -@item - @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic -Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details. - -@item - @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix -@kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file. - -@item - @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater -control over simplification. - -@item - @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread. - -@item - @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the -limit. - -@item - @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text. - -@item - @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}. - -@item - The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed. -If you used this function in your initialization files, you must -rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead. - -@item - Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix -@kbd{a} forces normal posting method. - -@item - New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper -text---@kbd{W d}. - -@item - For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set -@code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value. - -@item - @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for -controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers. - -@item - A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer -has been added. - -@item - A history of where mails have been split is available. - -@item - A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}. - -@item - Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting -@code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}. - -@item - A new function for citing in Message has been -added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}. - -@item - @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command. - -@item - A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has -been added. - -@item - A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the -@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable. - -@item - The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually -updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command. - -@item - Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend. - -@item - Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}. - -@end itemize - - -@node Newest Features -@subsection Newest Features -@cindex todo - -Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the -next millennium. - -Be afraid. Be very afraid. - -(That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've -decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds -interesting.) - -(Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.) - -@itemize @bullet - -@item -Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done. - -@item -Really do unbinhexing. - -@item - I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the -latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it. - -@item - A way to continue editing the latest Message composition. - -@item - http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/ - -@item - facep is not declared. - -@item - Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles -isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt. - -@item - Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy. - -@item -@example - Hypermail: - - - - -http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html - -http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/ - -@end example - -@item -@samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX. - -@item - gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3. - -@item - when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on? -@item - starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does -NEWGROUPS answer too fast? -@item - nndir doesn't read gzipped files. -@item - FAQ doesn't have an up node? -@item - when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box, -the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group. -@item - `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear. -@item - nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will -be marked as unread. -@item - Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace -@item - when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset. -@item - rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive -to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups. -@item - expunged articles are counted when computing scores. -@item - implement gnus-batch-brew-soup -@item - ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and -stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same. -@item - topics that contain just groups with ticked -articles aren't displayed. -@item - nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs. -@item - If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll -make the mail groups killed. -@item - no "no news is good news" when using topics. -@item - when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted -and articles have to be removed. -@item - nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several -parts. -@item - scoring on head immediate doesn't work. -@item - finding short score file names takes forever. -@item - canceling articles in foreign groups. -@item - nntp-open-rlogin no longer works. -@item - C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer. -@item - move nnmail-split-history out to the backends. -@item - nnweb doesn't work properly. -@item - using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work? -@item - when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the -master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another. -Perhaps. - -@item - warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file? -@item - really unbinhex binhex files. -@item - take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs -bar and the Gnus bar. -@item -@example - push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code. -`(canonize-message-id id)' -`(mail-parent-message-id references n)' -`(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)' -`(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)' -`(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)' - -@end example - -@item - nnml .overview directory with splits. -@item - asynchronous cache -@item - postponed commands. -@item - the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line. -@item - when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from -the server? -@item - sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the -headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number? -@item - nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also -inherit copy prompts and save files. -@item - command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer. -@item - allow editing the group description from the group buffer -for backends that support that. -@item -gnus-hide,show-all-topics -@item - groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic, -and not just list all subtopics at the end. -@item - a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect -threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'? -@item - a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer. -@item - a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded. -@item - add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic. -@item - server mode command: close/open all connections -@item - put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file -has been changed before using it. -@item - on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group. -@item - hide (sub)threads with low score. -@item - when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles. -@item - gnus-summary-limit-to-body -@item - a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed -on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'. -@item - easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that -contain groups that match a regexp. -@item - allow newlines in urls, but remove them before using -the URL. -@item - If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the -"From " line. -@item - fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info -from subject lines. -@item - gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores. -@item - nntp-ping-before-connect -@item - command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt". -@item - when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score -files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables. -@item - message annotations. -@item - topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good. -@item - (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf") -to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs. -@item - allow group line format spec to say how many articles there -are in the cache. -@item - AUTHINFO GENERIC -@item - support qmail maildir spools -@item - `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon. -@item - stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead -@item - C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header. -@item - go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the -next group instead of going to the group buffer. -@item - gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers. -@item - record topic changes in the dribble buffer. -@item - `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it -finds and generate proper active ranges. -@item - nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control -whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories. -@item - gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article -@item - gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling. -@item - when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups, -articles aren't properly marked as expirable. -@item - nneething should allow deletion/moving. -@item - TAB on the last button should go to the first button. -@item - if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function, -and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to -save mail in. -@item - command for listing all score files that have been applied. -@item - a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config. -@item - `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override -`C-c C-c' when posting. -@item - nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use -as a spool file. -@item - when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article -should be marker as expirable. -@item - article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser". -@item - on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance, -on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server. -@item - when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent. -Also consult Date headers. -@item - a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer -@item - `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb. -@item - duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read -Message-ID, delete the "original". -@item - when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids -into a See-Also header. -@item - support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/ -@item - support ProleText: -@item - when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed -should be listed as such and not as "K". -@item - generate font names dynamically. -@item - score file mode auto-alist. -@item - allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement -methods for each format for adding an article to the document. -@item - `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate -absolutely all headers there is. -@item - function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles -and pipe them to the process. -@item - cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update -the file whenever we read the active file or the list -of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length. -@item - function for starting to edit a file to put into -the current mail group. -@item - score-find-trace should display the total score of the article. -@item - "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it -to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to. -@item - look at procmail splitting. The backends should create -the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group. -@item - function for backends to register themselves with Gnus. -@item - when replying to several process-marked articles, -have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle. -@item - command to delete a crossposted mail article from all -groups it has been mailed to. -@item - `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware. -@item - hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks. -@item - Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups. -@item - `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept -pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all" -@item - When buttifying things, all white space (including -newlines) should be ignored. -@item - Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark -groups in subtopics as well. -@item - Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them. -@item - nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest -variable settings. -@item - add edit and forward secondary marks. -@item - nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files. -@item - allow customizing sorting within gathered threads. -@item - `B q' shouldn't select the current article. -@item - nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions. -@item - allow fetching mail from several pop servers. -@item - Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original -or the formatted article. -@item - a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.). -@item - I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin -should be a feature in Red Gnus. -@item - The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click. -@item - more limiting functions -- date, etc. -@item - be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches. -@item - a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire -even unread articles. -@item - a command to print the article buffer as postscript. -@item - variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet. -@item - manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet -@item - checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well. -@item - canceling articles in foreign groups. -@item - article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by -Xref handling. -@item - Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the -next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found. -@item - Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere -- -in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance. -@item - Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next. -@item - a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles. -@item - a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes -from a particular server? Hm. -@item - `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill -the article buffer if there are any looong lines there. -@item - `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it. -@item - a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file, -and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend. -@item - a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that -all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache. -@item - It should also probably be possible to delimit what -`gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on -some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than -a certain number. -@item - nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing -the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages. -@item - allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files. -@item - a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder? -@item - a command for making the native groups into foreign groups. -@item - server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups -from a server. -@item - when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers -from all articles. -@item - a command for deciding what the total score of the current -thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this. -@item - command to show and edit group scores -@item - a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers -horizontally. -@item - command to generate nnml overview file for one group. -@item - `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups. -@item - keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session). -Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group -buffer. -@item - gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads -that are of that length. -@item - have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile. -@item - cache the newsgroups descriptions locally. -@item - asynchronous posting under nntp. -@item - be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files. -@item - a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method. -@item - `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'. -@item - if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have -a score lower than this number. -@item - split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method". -@item - buttonize ange-ftp file names. -@item - a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article -so that each copy can be edited separately. -@item - nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server. -@item - record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that -it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer. -@item - nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for -all nnml servers. -@item - when the user does commands in the group buffer, check -the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use -ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying -to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed. -@item - M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in -the topic. -@item - command to remove all topic stuff. -@item - allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail -and splitting the resulting digests. -@item - nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables. -@item - command to nix out all nnoo state information. -@item - nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names -matches an alist -- before saving. -@item - use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text. -@item - variable to activate each group before entering them -to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'. -@item - command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even -starting Gnus first if necessary. -@item - when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just -ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb. -@item - buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way. -@item - `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing -of several groups at once. -@item - command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that -matches some regexp(s). -@item - nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages. -@item - it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header. -@item - hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it. -@item - `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer. -@item - remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article. -@item - `M-s' should highlight the matching text. -@item - when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present. -@item - killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy -of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should -be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics -should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings. -@item - command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say -"ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache." -@item - `X u' should decode base64 articles. -@item - a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most -recently cited text. -@item - nnvirtual should be asynchronous. -@item - after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should -be invalidated. -@item - there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the -server and just read the articles in the server -@item - allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default -value of nnoo variables. -@item - a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file. -@item - groups from secondary servers have the entire select method -listed in each group info. -@item - a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group -buffer. -@item - a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions -should only be applied to some groups. -@item - Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed -mail-copies-to: never. -@item - new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post -using the current server. Also a variable to do the same. -@item - the slave dribble files should autosave to the slave file names. -@item - a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based -on article marks. -@item - a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead -of normal logo?) -@item - Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable. -@item - Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also -clear up info. -@item - group user-defined meta-parameters. - - - -From: John Griffith -@item - I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was -thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives -you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the -problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs. -What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site. - -In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @* -ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html - - - - -@item -@example -From: Jason L Tibbitts III -(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook - (lambda () - (gnus-group-add-parameter group - (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string)))))) - -(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers) - "Return the date the group was last read." - (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered))) - (t ""))) -@end example - -@item - tanken var at n,Ae(Br du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til ilete -opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den v,Af(Bre en -liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man -hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder. - - -@item -LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like -LMI> answered and read, I guess. - -It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of -unix mbox files). - -They could be used like this: - - -@example -`M l RET' add label to current message. -`M u RET' remove label from current message. -`/ l RET' limit summary buffer according to . - - would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g. - -`/ l bug & !fixed RET' -@end example - -would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled -`fixed'. - -One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or -affect the summary line format. - - -@item -Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk - -I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it -would recognize things that looks like messages or folders: - -- If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir -summary buffer. - -- For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer. - -- For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary. - -- For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary. - -- For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer. - -- For other files, just find them normally. - -I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a -directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files. - -@item -Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and -tell him what you are doing. - -@item -Currently, I get prompted: - -decend into sci? -- type y -decend into sci.something ? -- type n -decend into ucd? - -The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of -science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If -there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt -for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?... - -@item -Ja, det burde v,Af(Bre en m,Ae(Bte ,Ae(B si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel? -`gnus-use-few-score-files'? S,Ae(B kunne score-regler legges til den -"mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av -"no.all.SCORE", osv. - -@item -What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following -as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page" -button: - - -^L's - -more than n blank lines - -more than m identical lines -(which should be replaced with button to show them) - -any whitespace surrounding any of the above - - -@item -Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' -- -`spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then -subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the -"same" subject for threading purposes. - -@item -Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form -"(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first -form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between -those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.) - -@item - Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks: -tick - thumb tack -killed - skull -soup - bowl of soup -score below - dim light bulb -score over - bright light bulb - -@item -Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows: - -@example -Group-mode - - show-list-of-articles-in-group - if (key-pressed == SPACE) - if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select) - if (articles-selected) - start-reading-selected-articles; - junk-unread-articles; - next-group; - else - show-next-page; - - else if (key-pressed = '.') - if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus - select-thread-under-cursor; - else - select-article-under-cursor; - - -Article-mode - if (key-pressed == SPACE) - if (more-pages-in-article) - next-page; - else if (more-selected-articles-to-read) - next-article; - else - next-group; -@end example - -@item -My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*. -One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess -it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such -nneething groups. - -A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be -allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting -the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by -the wildcard expression). - -@item -It would be nice if it also handled - - - -which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*. - - -@item - - Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out -really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a -gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and -article versions) variable. - - So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...) - - A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in -the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM. - - -@item - nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its -articles. -@item - gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer -active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well. -(message-sent-hook). -@item - rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers. - -@item - * Enhancements to Gnus: - - Add two commands: - - * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes - straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to - servers first. - - * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to - the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed; - quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer. - -@item - add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder -- -go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates, -and stuff. - -@item - `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification. - -@item - a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all -secondary marks. - -@item - when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do -the nnmail duplicate checking. - -@item - allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the -value of the signature file. - -@item - In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it -could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of -interface like - -(setq message-tab-alist - '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group) - ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name))) - -then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in -the header - -@item - cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time. - -@item - a command to import a buffer into a group. - -@item - nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers. - -@item - point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the -beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles. - -@item - a command to process mark all unread articles. - -@item - `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first -do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and -do more gathering by subject. - -@item - gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in -article numerical order. - -@item - (gnus-thread-total-score - (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header)))) -bind to a key. - -@item - sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads. - -@item - a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be -in the summary buffer. - -@item - a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using -version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc. - -@item - http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ? -This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews -database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author, -and/or newsgroup name. - -@item - new Date header scoring type -- older, newer - -@item - use the summary toolbar in the article buffer. - -@item - a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old. - -@item - in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the -group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles -will automatically get the process mark. - -@item - Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the -default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a -user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)). - -@item - make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the -current group. - -@item - `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default -to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'. - -@item - a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting. -`first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are -candidates. - -@item - be able to select groups that have no articles in them -to be able to post in them (using the current select method). - -@item - be able to post via DejaNews. - -@item - `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed. - -@item - allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also -allow them to be displayed separately. - -@item - gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from -the processes when doing a process marked pipe. - -@item - a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all -articles that match a certain From header. - -@item - a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer -saving living summary buffers. - -@item - a function for selecting a particular group which will contain -the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's. - -@item - a battery of character translation functions to translate common -Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1. - -@example -(defun article-fix-m$word () - "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article." - (interactive) - (save-excursion - (let ((buffer-read-only nil)) - (goto-char (point-min)) - (while (search-forward "\221" nil t) - (replace-match "`" t t)) - (goto-char (point-min)) - (while (search-forward "\222" nil t) - (replace-match "'" t t)) - (goto-char (point-min)) - (while (search-forward "\223" nil t) - (replace-match "\"" t t)) - (goto-char (point-min)) - (while (search-forward "\224" nil t) - (replace-match "\"" t t))))) -@end example - -@item -@example - (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions -'(lambda () - (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file) - (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0)) - (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ") - (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? ")))) -@end example - -@item - allow message-default-headers to be a function. - -@item - new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point -numbers and match on the age of the article. - -@item -@example -> > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25 -> > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the -> > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O -> -> > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with -> > `M-x gnus-other-frame'? -> -> I normally start it up from the toolbar; at -> least that's the way I've caught it doing the -> deed before. -@end example - -@item - all commands that react to the process mark should push -the current process mark set onto the stack. - -@item - gnus-article-hide-pgp -Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt islette den dersom teksten matcher -@example -"\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by" -@end example -og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det- -er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles. - -@item - `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been -sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run. - -@item - gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set -on the lines. - -@item - use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the -home-brewed stuff for better reliability. - -@item - add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc. - -@item - nndraft-request-group should tally autosave files. - -@item - implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout. - -@item - gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long) -articles. - -@item - (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE) - -@item - nn*-spool-methods - -@item - interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles. - -@item - command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the -current group. - -@item - a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than -X characters in the body. - -@item - handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately. - -@item - include the texi/dir file in the distribution. - -@item - format spec to "tab" to a position. - -@item - Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style. - -@item - command to display all dormant articles. - -@item - gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do. - -@item - a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied -to something someone else has said. - -@item - Read Netscape discussion groups: -snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix - -@item -One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit -the displayed version. - -@item -@kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the -current article. - -@item -Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism. - -@item -How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be -possible to make various constraints on when an article can be -expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read -& age > 14 days)? - -@item -New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string -in the head or body. - -@item -Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands. - -@item -gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles. - -@item -Editing an article should put the article to be edited -in a special, unique buffer. - -@item -A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param. - -@item -A Date scoring type that will match if the article -is less than a certain number of days old. - -@item -New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56 - -@item -Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files. - -@item -Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active -file, for instance. - -@item -With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article -in any other dummy thread will make gnus highlight the -dummy root instead of the first article. - -@item -Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the -topics for displaying. - -@item -`n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group -with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic. - -@item -gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts. - -@item -gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are -many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the -summary buffer for each article. - -@item -Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup. - -@item -Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing -lists. - -@item -Introduce nnmail-home-directory. - -@item -gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user -exits the group. - -@item -The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus. - -@item -gnus-ignored-mime-types to avoid seeing buttons for Vcards and the -like. - -@item -Boucing articles should do MIME. - -@item -Solve the halting problem. - -@c TODO -@end itemize - -@iftex - -@page -@node The Manual -@section The Manual -@cindex colophon -@cindex manual - -This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through -either @code{texi2dvi} -@iflatex -or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer, -and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips} -@end iflatex -to get what you hold in your hands now. - -The following conventions have been used: - -@enumerate - -@item -This is a @samp{string} - -@item -This is a @kbd{keystroke} - -@item -This is a @file{file} - -@item -This is a @code{symbol} - -@end enumerate - -So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would -mean: - -@lisp -(setq flargnoze "yes") -@end lisp - -If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean: - -@lisp -(setq flumphel 'yes) -@end lisp - -@samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't -ever get them confused. - -@iflatex -@c @head -Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should -read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the -manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over -there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than -the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely -important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more -of the mysteries of this world, I guess.) -@end iflatex - -@end iftex - - -@page -@node Terminology -@section Terminology - -@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 -@cindex reply -Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading. - -@item follow up -@cindex follow up -Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you -are reading. - -@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. - -@item native -@cindex native -Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or -default, way of getting news. - -@item foreign -@cindex foreign -You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time. -These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting -news. - -@item secondary -@cindex secondary -Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being -foreign, but they mostly act like they are native. - -@item article -@cindex article -A message that has been posted as news. - -@item mail message -@cindex mail message -A message that has been mailed. - -@item message -@cindex message -A mail message or news article - -@item head -@cindex head -The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is -put. - -@item body -@cindex body -The rest of an article. Everything 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 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. - -@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). - -@item activating -@cindex activating groups -The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the -number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}. -Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer. - -@item server -@cindex server -A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from. - -@item select method -@cindex select method -A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual -server settings. - -@item virtual server -@cindex virtual server -A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to -know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a -whole is a virtual server. - -@item washing -@cindex washing -Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The -result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the -original. - -@item ephemeral groups -@cindex ephemeral groups -Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral} -groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the -group, it'll disappear into the aether. - -@item solid groups -@cindex solid groups -This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the -group buffer are solid groups. - -@item sparse articles -@cindex sparse articles -These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when -@code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on. - -@item threading -@cindex threading -To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond -to---in a hierarchical fashion. - -@item root -@cindex root -@cindex thread root -The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all -articles in the thread. - -@item parent -@cindex parent -An article that has responses. - -@item child -@cindex child -An article that responds to a different article---its parent. - -@item digest -@cindex digest -A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is -specified by RFC1153. - -@end table - - -@page -@node Customization -@section Customization -@cindex general customization - -All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This -section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus -for some quite common situations. - -@menu -* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere. -* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs. -* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky. -* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine. -@end menu - - -@node Slow/Expensive 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-newsgroups} 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 -@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 (as much as -possible) the amount of data sent over the wires. - -@table @code - -@item gnus-auto-center-summary -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 included in the articles to 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. - -@item gnus-article-display-hook -Set this hook to all the available hiding commands: -@lisp -(setq gnus-article-display-hook - '(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 -@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 -only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to -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}. This variable is @code{t} by default. - -@end table - - -@node 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-check-new-newsgroups} and -@code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster. - -Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and -@code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the -summary buffer faster. - -Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article -processing a bit faster. - - -@page -@node Troubleshooting -@section Troubleshooting -@cindex troubleshooting - -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{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. - -@cindex bugs -@cindex reporting bugs - -@kindex M-x gnus-bug -@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 a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug. - -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. - -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 just send -back ``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. - -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. - -If you just need help, you are better off asking on -@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. - -@cindex gnu.emacs.gnus -@cindex ding mailing list -You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}. -Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe. - - -@page -@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 -it. - -You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I -will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its -backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files -(ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others) -and general methods of operation. - -@menu -* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use. -* Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers. -* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard. -* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally. -* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers. -* Group Info:: The group info format. -* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff. -* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen. -* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use. -@end menu - - -@node Gnus Utility Functions -@subsection Gnus Utility Functions -@cindex Gnus utility functions -@cindex utility functions -@cindex functions -@cindex internal variables - -When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's -vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables. -Below is a list of the most common ones. - -@table @code - -@item gnus-newsgroup-name -@vindex gnus-newsgroup-name -This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup. - -@item gnus-find-method-for-group -@findex gnus-find-method-for-group -A function that returns the select method for @var{group}. - -@item gnus-group-real-name -@findex gnus-group-real-name -Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed -name. - -@item gnus-group-prefixed-name -@findex gnus-group-prefixed-name -Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full -(prefixed) Gnus group name. - -@item gnus-get-info -@findex gnus-get-info -Returns the group info list for @var{group}. - -@item gnus-group-unread -@findex gnus-group-unread -The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is -unknown. - -@item gnus-active -@findex gnus-active -The active entry for @var{group}. - -@item gnus-set-active -@findex gnus-set-active -Set the active entry for @var{group}. - -@item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list -@findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list -Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus -exit. - -@item gnus-continuum-version -@findex gnus-continuum-version -Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point -number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later -versions. - -@item gnus-group-read-only-p -@findex gnus-group-read-only-p -Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not. - -@item gnus-news-group-p -@findex gnus-news-group-p -Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend. - -@item gnus-ephemeral-group-p -@findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p -Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not. - -@item gnus-server-to-method -@findex gnus-server-to-method -Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}. - -@item gnus-server-equal -@findex gnus-server-equal -Says whether two virtual servers are equal. - -@item gnus-group-native-p -@findex gnus-group-native-p -Says whether @var{group} is native or not. - -@item gnus-group-secondary-p -@findex gnus-group-secondary-p -Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not. - -@item gnus-group-foreign-p -@findex gnus-group-foreign-p -Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not. - -@item group-group-find-parameter -@findex group-group-find-parameter -Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter, -returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}. - -@item gnus-group-set-parameter -@findex gnus-group-set-parameter -Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}. - -@item gnus-narrow-to-body -@findex gnus-narrow-to-body -Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article. - -@item gnus-check-backend-function -@findex gnus-check-backend-function -Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend -@var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}. - -@lisp -(gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc") -=> t -@end lisp - -@item gnus-read-method -@findex gnus-read-method -Prompts the user for a select method. - -@end table - - -@node Backend Interface -@subsection Backend Interface - -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}. - -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'' -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. - -Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server -name. Take this example: - -@lisp -(nntp "odd-one" - (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no") - (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}. - -The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers. -The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual -server environments that they pull down/push up when needed. - -There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions}, -which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will -always check for presence before attempting to call 'em. - -All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer -@code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat -unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about -@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 not to 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. - -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. -* Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends. -@end menu - - -@node Required Backend Functions -@subsubsection Required Backend Functions - -@table @code - -@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 -sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support -retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both. - -The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result -value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this. -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 fetching "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 filling 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 -221 1056 Article retrieved. -Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles -From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde) -Newsgroups: ifi.discussion -Subject: Re: Something very droll -Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100 -Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway -Lines: 26 -Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no> -References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no> -NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no -. -@end example - -So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of -these in the data buffer. - -Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer: - -@example -headers = *head -head = error / valid-head -error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " eol -valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol -valid-message = "221 " " Article retrieved." eol -header = eol -@end example - -If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain -@dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields -separated by tabs. - -@example -nov-buffer = *nov-line -nov-line = 8*9 [ field ] eol -field = -@end example - -For a closer look at what should be in those fields, -@pxref{Headers}. - - -@item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS) - -@var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a -list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server. - -If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend -may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this -server. In fact, it should do so. - -If the server is opened already, this function should return a -non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER) - -Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected -to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some -reason. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-close) - -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.) This -function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER) - -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 we have lost connection to. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER) - -This function should return the last error message from @var{server}. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER) - -The result data from this function should be the article specified by -@var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number. -It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but -it would be nice if that were possible. - -If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned -in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it -possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to -another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly -into its article buffer. - -If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where -the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{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 retrieval. - - -@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 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 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 exercise to the reader. - -@example -group-status = [ error / info ] eol -error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2 " " -info = "211 " 3* [ " " ] -@end example - - -@item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER) - -Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be -a no-op on most backends. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER) - -Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means -@emph{all}. - -Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups: - -@example -ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y -ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n -@end example - -On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in -that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. - -@example -active-file = *active-line -active-line = name " " " " " " flags eol -name = -flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name -@end example - -The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated -(@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group -(@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}). - - -@item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER) - -This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether -the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for -instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been -completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this -function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and -clear if the posting could not be completed. - -There should be no result data from this function. - -@end table - - -@node Optional Backend Functions -@subsubsection Optional Backend Functions - -@table @code - -@item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER) - -@var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data -on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it -should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion. - -The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or -@code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The -former is in the same format as the data from -@code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines -in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives. - -@example -group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status -@end example - - -@item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER) - -A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for -alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the -information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This -function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and -should return the (altered) group info. - -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 on 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 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. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER) - -This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to -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 -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. - -There should be no result data from this function. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER) - -The result data from this function should be a description of -@var{group}. - -@example -description-line = name description eol -name = -description = -@end example - -@item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER) - -The result data from this function should be the description of all -groups available on the server. - -@example -description-buffer = *description-line -@end example - - -@item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER) - -The result data from this function should be all groups that were -created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date -format. The data should be in the active buffer format. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER) - -This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}. - -There should be no return data. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE) - -This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the -@var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article -numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles -should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is -non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new -they are. - -This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not -able to delete. - -There should be no result data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM -&optional LAST) - -This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from -@var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}. - -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. - -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 @code{car} is the group name and -the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@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 @code{car} is the group name and -the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as. - -There should be no data returned. - - -@item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER) - -This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from -@var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead. - -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 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 multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them. -This function must 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 functions 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: - -@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 declared here 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 nor 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 Mail-like Backends -@subsubsection Mail-like Backends - -One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the -backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common -functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of -@code{nnml-request-scan}: - -@lisp -(deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server) - (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil) - (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group)) -@end lisp - -It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters, -and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the -mail. - -This function takes four parameters. - -@table @var -@item method -This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for -the call. - -@item exit-function -This function should be called after the splitting has been performed. - -@item temp-directory -Where the temporary files should be stored. - -@item group -This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be -performed for one group only. -@end table - -@code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to -save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to -find the article number assigned to this article. - -The function also uses the following variables: -@var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for -this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and -@var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file. -@var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like -this: - -@example -(("a-group" (1 . 10)) - ("some-group" (34 . 39))) -@end example - - -@node Score File Syntax -@subsection Score File Syntax - -Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely -mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax -as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec. - -Here's a typical score file: - -@lisp -(("summary" - ("win95" -10000 nil s) - ("Gnus")) - ("from" - ("Lars" -1000)) - (mark -100)) -@end lisp - -BNF definition of a score file: - -@example -score-file = "" / "(" *element ")" -element = rule / atom -rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule -string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")" -number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")" -date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")" -quote = -string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" / - "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup" -number-header = "lines" / "chars" -date-header = "date" -string-match = "(" quote quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" / - space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")" -score = "nil" / -date = "nil" / -string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" / - "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" / - "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" / - "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy" -number-match = "(" [ "" / [ space score [ "" / - space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")" -number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<=" -date-match = "(" quote quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" / - space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")" -date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after" -atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")" -required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files / - exclude-files / read-only / touched -optional-atom = adapt / local / eval -mark = "mark" space nil-or-number -nil-or-number = "nil" / -expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number -mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number -files = "files" *[ space ] -exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space ] -read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ] -adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ] -adapt-rule = "(" *[ *[ "(" ")" ] ")" -local = "local" *[ space "(" space
")" ] -eval = "eval" space -space = *[ " " / / ] -@end example - -Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not -discarded. - -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 -one looong line, then that's ok. - -The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this -manual (@pxref{Score File Format}). - - -@node Headers -@subsection Headers - -Internally Gnus uses 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 severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in -RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g., -@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 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 -@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 qualify 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 -sequence. - -@example -(1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12) -@end example - -is transformed into - -@example -((1 . 6) (10 . 12)) -@end example - -To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a -lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element: - -@example -((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12)) -@end example - -This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal -is slightly tricky: - -@example -((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12)) -@end example - -and - -@example -((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12)) -@end example - -are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range: - -@example -(1 2 3 4 5) -@end example - -is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is -also valid: - -@example -(1 . 5) -@end example - -and is equal to the previous range. - -Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the -semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number -of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in -range handling.) - -@example -range = simple-range / normal-range -simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")" -normal-range = "(" start-contents ")" -contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] / - number *[ " " contents ] -@end example - -Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article -marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The -Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I -need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life -totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal -sequences.) - - -@node 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 -describes the group. - -Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the -second is a more complex one: - -@example -("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324)) - -("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55)) - ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3))) - (nnml "") - ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org"))) -@end example - -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. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a -cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the -score.) 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. - -Here's a BNF definition of the group info format: - -@example -info = "(" group space ralevel space read - [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" / - space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")" -group = quote quote -ralevel = rank / level -level = -rank = "(" level "." score ")" -score = -read = range -marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")" -marks = "(" range ")" -method = "(" *elisp-forms ")" -parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")" -@end example - -Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a -@samp{} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say -in pseudo-BNF. - -If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a -series of macros for getting/setting these elements. - -@table @code -@item gnus-info-group -@itemx gnus-info-set-group -@findex gnus-info-group -@findex gnus-info-set-group -Get/set the group name. - -@item gnus-info-rank -@itemx gnus-info-set-rank -@findex gnus-info-rank -@findex gnus-info-set-rank -Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}). - -@item gnus-info-level -@itemx gnus-info-set-level -@findex gnus-info-level -@findex gnus-info-set-level -Get/set the group level. - -@item gnus-info-score -@itemx gnus-info-set-score -@findex gnus-info-score -@findex gnus-info-set-score -Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}). - -@item gnus-info-read -@itemx gnus-info-set-read -@findex gnus-info-read -@findex gnus-info-set-read -Get/set the ranges of read articles. - -@item gnus-info-marks -@itemx gnus-info-set-marks -@findex gnus-info-marks -@findex gnus-info-set-marks -Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles. - -@item gnus-info-method -@itemx gnus-info-set-method -@findex gnus-info-method -@findex gnus-info-set-method -Get/set the group select method. - -@item gnus-info-params -@itemx gnus-info-set-params -@findex gnus-info-params -@findex gnus-info-set-params -Get/set the group parameters. -@end table - -All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter -functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value. - -The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be -necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this -is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to -the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically. - - -@node Extended Interactive -@subsection Extended Interactive -@cindex interactive -@findex gnus-interactive - -Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification -slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic -Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used: - -@lisp -(defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp) - (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny")) - ... - ) -@end lisp - -The best thing to do would have been to implement -@code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an -@code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks -whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq} -on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive} -function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to -@code{interactive}. - -This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but -adds a few more. - -@table @samp -@item y -@vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol -The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} -variable. - -@item Y -@vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols -A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the -@code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable. - -@item A -The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number} -function. - -@item H -The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header} -function. - -@item g -The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name} -function. - -@end table - - -@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. - -In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner, -I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias -for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function. - -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 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 -group = -space = " " -high-number = -low-number = -flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group -@end example - -For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for -@samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}. - - -@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 -group = -tab = -description = -@end example - - -@page -@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 keys are 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 -keyboard. 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 don'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 is a simple @code{setq} statement here. - -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. - -@page -@include gnus-faq.texi - -@node Index -@chapter Index -@printindex cp - -@node Key Index -@chapter Key Index -@printindex ky - -@summarycontents -@contents -@bye - -@iftex -@iflatex -\end{document} -@end iflatex -@end iftex - -@c End: - diff --git a/texi/message-ja.texi b/texi/message-ja.texi index 3a152d3..7b74fac 100644 --- a/texi/message-ja.texi +++ b/texi/message-ja.texi @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- @setfilename message-ja -@settitle Message 5.6.33 Manual +@settitle Message 6.10.021 Manual @synindex fn cp @synindex vr cp @synindex pg cp @@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions. @tex @titlepage -@title Message 5.6.22 Manual +@title Message 6.10.021 Manual @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen @translated by members of Semi-gnus mailing-list @@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ Gnus $B$NA4$F$N%a%C%;!<%8$N:n@.(B ($B%a!<%k$H%K%e!<%9$NN>J}(B) $B$O%a%C%;!< * Key Index:: $B%a%C%;!<%8%b!<%I%-!<$N0lMw!#(B @end menu -$B$3$N%^%K%e%"%k$O(B Message 5.6.22 $B$KBP1~$7$^$9!#(BMessage $B$O$3$N%^%K%e%"%k$H(B +$B$3$N%^%K%e%"%k$O(B Message 6.10.021 $B$KBP1~$7$^$9!#(BMessage $B$O$3$N%^%K%e%"%k$H(B $BF1$8HGHV9f$N(B Gnus $B$NG[I[$H6&$KG[I[$5$l$^$9!#(B diff --git a/texi/message.texi b/texi/message.texi deleted file mode 100644 index ec14254..0000000 --- a/texi/message.texi +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1340 +0,0 @@ -\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- - -@setfilename message -@settitle Pterodactyl Message 0.32 Manual -@synindex fn cp -@synindex vr cp -@synindex pg cp -@c @direntry -@c * Message: (message). Mail and news composition mode that goes with Gnus. -@c @end direntry -@iftex -@finalout -@end iftex -@setchapternewpage odd - -@ifinfo - -This file documents Message, the Emacs message composition mode. - -Copyright (C) 1996,97,98 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. - -@ignore -Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the -results, provided the printed document carries copying permission -notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph -(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual). - -@end ignore -Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this -manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also 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. -@end ifinfo - -@tex - -@titlepage -@title Pterodactyl Message 0.32 Manual - -@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen -@page - -@vskip 0pt plus 1filll -Copyright @copyright{} 1996 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. - -@end titlepage -@page - -@end tex - -@node Top -@top Message - -All message composition from Gnus (both mail and news) takes place in -Message mode buffers. - -@menu -* Interface:: Setting up message buffers. -* Commands:: Commands you can execute in message mode buffers. -* Variables:: Customizing the message buffers. -* Compatibility:: Making Message backwards compatible. -* Appendices:: More technical things. -* Index:: Variable, function and concept index. -* Key Index:: List of Message mode keys. -@end menu - -This manual corresponds to Pterodactyl Message 0.32. Message is -distributed with the Gnus distribution bearing the same version number -as this manual. - - -@node Interface -@chapter Interface - -When a program (or a person) wants to respond to a message -- reply, -follow up, forward, cancel -- the program (or person) should just put -point in the buffer where the message is and call the required command. -@code{Message} will then pop up a new @code{message} mode buffer with -appropriate headers filled out, and the user can edit the message before -sending it. - -@menu -* New Mail Message:: Editing a brand new mail message. -* New News Message:: Editing a brand new news message. -* Reply:: Replying via mail. -* Wide Reply:: Responding to all people via mail. -* Followup:: Following up via news. -* Canceling News:: Canceling a news article. -* Superseding:: Superseding a message. -* Forwarding:: Forwarding a message via news or mail. -* Resending:: Resending a mail message. -* Bouncing:: Bouncing a mail message. -@end menu - - -@node New Mail Message -@section New Mail Message - -@findex message-mail -The @code{message-mail} command pops up a new message buffer. - -Two optional parameters are accepted: The first will be used as the -@code{To} header and the second as the @code{Subject} header. If these -are @code{nil}, those two headers will be empty. - - -@node New News Message -@section New News Message - -@findex message-news -The @code{message-news} command pops up a new message buffer. - -This function accepts two optional parameters. The first will be used -as the @code{Newsgroups} header and the second as the @code{Subject} -header. If these are @code{nil}, those two headers will be empty. - - -@node Reply -@section Reply - -@findex message-reply -The @code{message-reply} function pops up a message buffer that's a -reply to the message in the current buffer. - -@vindex message-reply-to-function -Message uses the normal methods to determine where replies are to go -(@pxref{Responses}), but you can change the behavior to suit your needs -by fiddling with the @code{message-reply-to-function} variable. - -If you want the replies to go to the @code{Sender} instead of the -@code{From}, you could do something like this: - -@lisp -(setq message-reply-to-function - (lambda () - (cond ((equal (mail-fetch-field "from") "somebody") - (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. - -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. @code{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 Wide Reply -@section Wide Reply - -@findex message-wide-reply -The @code{message-wide-reply} pops up a message buffer that's a wide -reply to the message in the current buffer. A @dfn{wide reply} is a -reply that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} -(or @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. - -@vindex message-wide-reply-to-function -Message uses the normal methods to determine where wide replies are to go, -but you can change the behavior to suit your needs by fiddling with the -@code{message-wide-reply-to-function}. It is used in the same way as -@code{message-reply-to-function} (@pxref{Reply}). - -@findex rmail-dont-reply-to-names -Addresses that match the @code{rmail-dont-reply-to-names} regular -expression will be removed from the @code{Cc} header. - - -@node Followup -@section Followup - -@findex message-followup -The @code{message-followup} command pops up a message buffer that's a -followup to the message in the current buffer. - -@vindex message-followup-to-function -Message uses the normal methods to determine where followups are to go, -but you can change the behavior to suit your needs by fiddling with the -@code{message-followup-to-function}. It is used in the same way as -@code{message-reply-to-function} (@pxref{Reply}). - -@vindex message-use-followup-to -The @code{message-use-followup-to} variable says what to do about -@code{Followup-To} headers. If it is @code{use}, always use the value. -If it is @code{ask} (which is the default), ask whether to use the -value. If it is @code{t}, use the value unless it is @samp{poster}. If -it is @code{nil}, don't use the value. - - -@node Canceling News -@section Canceling News - -@findex message-cancel-news -The @code{message-cancel-news} command cancels the article in the -current buffer. - - -@node Superseding -@section Superseding - -@findex message-supersede -The @code{message-supersede} command pops up a message buffer that will -supersede the message in the current buffer. - -@vindex message-ignored-supersedes-headers -Headers matching the @code{message-ignored-supersedes-headers} are -removed before popping up the new message buffer. The default is@* -@samp{^Path:\\|^Date\\|^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^Lines:\\|@* -^Received:\\|^X-From-Line:\\|Return-Path:\\|^Supersedes:}. - - - -@node Forwarding -@section Forwarding - -@findex message-forward -The @code{message-forward} command pops up a message buffer to forward -the message in the current buffer. If given a prefix, forward using -news. - -@table @code -@item message-forward-start-separator -@vindex message-forward-start-separator -Delimiter inserted before forwarded messages. The default is@* -@samp{------- Start of forwarded message -------\n}. - -@vindex message-forward-end-separator -@item message-forward-end-separator -@vindex message-forward-end-separator -Delimiter inserted after forwarded messages. The default is@* -@samp{------- End of forwarded message -------\n}. - -@item message-signature-before-forwarded-message -@vindex message-signature-before-forwarded-message -If this variable is @code{t}, which it is by default, your personal -signature will be inserted before the forwarded message. If not, the -forwarded message will be inserted first in the new mail. - -@item message-included-forward-headers -@vindex message-included-forward-headers -Regexp matching header lines to be included in forwarded messages. - -@item message-make-forward-subject-function -@vindex message-make-forward-subject-function -A list of functions that are called to generate a subject header for -forwarded messages. The subject generated by the previous function is -passed into each successive function. - -The provided functions are: - -@table @code -@item message-forward-subject-author-subject -@findex message-forward-subject-author-subject -Source of article (author or newsgroup), in brackets followed by the -subject. - -@item message-forward-subject-fwd -Subject of article with @samp{Fwd:} prepended to it. -@end table - -@item message-wash-forwarded-subjects -@vindex message-wash-forwarded-subjects -If this variable is @code{t}, the subjects of forwarded messages have -the evidence of previous forwards (such as @samp{Fwd:}, @samp{Re:}, -@samp{(fwd)}) removed before the new subject is -constructed. The default value is @code{nil}. - -@end table - - -@node Resending -@section Resending - -@findex message-resend -The @code{message-resend} command will prompt the user for an address -and resend the message in the current buffer to that address. - -@vindex message-ignored-resent-headers -Headers that match the @code{message-ignored-resent-headers} regexp will -be removed before sending the message. The default is -@samp{^Return-receipt}. - - -@node Bouncing -@section Bouncing - -@findex message-bounce -The @code{message-bounce} command will, if the current buffer contains a -bounced mail message, pop up a message buffer stripped of the bounce -information. A @dfn{bounced message} is typically a mail you've sent -out that has been returned by some @code{mailer-daemon} as -undeliverable. - -@vindex message-ignored-bounced-headers -Headers that match the @code{message-ignored-bounced-headers} regexp -will be removed before popping up the buffer. The default is -@samp{^\\(Received\\|Return-Path\\):}. - - -@node Commands -@chapter Commands - -@menu -* Header Commands:: Commands for moving to headers. -* Movement:: Moving around in message buffers. -* Insertion:: Inserting things into message buffers. -* Various Commands:: Various things. -* Sending:: Actually sending the message. -* Mail Aliases:: How to use mail aliases. -@end menu - - -@node Header Commands -@section Header Commands - -All these commands move to the header in question. If it doesn't exist, -it will be inserted. - -@table @kbd - -@item C-c ? -@kindex C-c ? -@findex message-goto-to -Describe the message mode. - -@item C-c C-f C-t -@kindex C-c C-f C-t -@findex message-goto-to -Go to the @code{To} header (@code{message-goto-to}). - -@item C-c C-f C-b -@kindex C-c C-f C-b -@findex message-goto-bcc -Go to the @code{Bcc} header (@code{message-goto-bcc}). - -@item C-c C-f C-f -@kindex C-c C-f C-f -@findex message-goto-fcc -Go to the @code{Fcc} header (@code{message-goto-fcc}). - -@item C-c C-f C-c -@kindex C-c C-f C-c -@findex message-goto-cc -Go to the @code{Cc} header (@code{message-goto-cc}). - -@item C-c C-f C-s -@kindex C-c C-f C-s -@findex message-goto-subject -Go to the @code{Subject} header (@code{message-goto-subject}). - -@item C-c C-f C-r -@kindex C-c C-f C-r -@findex message-goto-reply-to -Go to the @code{Reply-To} header (@code{message-goto-reply-to}). - -@item C-c C-f C-n -@kindex C-c C-f C-n -@findex message-goto-newsgroups -Go to the @code{Newsgroups} header (@code{message-goto-newsgroups}). - -@item C-c C-f C-d -@kindex C-c C-f C-d -@findex message-goto-distribution -Go to the @code{Distribution} header (@code{message-goto-distribution}). - -@item C-c C-f C-o -@kindex C-c C-f C-o -@findex message-goto-followup-to -Go to the @code{Followup-To} header (@code{message-goto-followup-to}). - -@item C-c C-f C-k -@kindex C-c C-f C-k -@findex message-goto-keywords -Go to the @code{Keywords} header (@code{message-goto-keywords}). - -@item C-c C-f C-u -@kindex C-c C-f C-u -@findex message-goto-summary -Go to the @code{Summary} header (@code{message-goto-summary}). - -@end table - - -@node Movement -@section Movement - -@table @kbd -@item C-c C-b -@kindex C-c C-b -@findex message-goto-body -Move to the beginning of the body of the message -(@code{message-goto-body}). - -@item C-c C-i -@kindex C-c C-i -@findex message-goto-signature -Move to the signature of the message (@code{message-goto-signature}). - -@end table - - -@node Insertion -@section Insertion - -@table @kbd - -@item C-c C-y -@kindex C-c C-y -@findex message-yank-original -Yank the message in the buffer @code{gnus-article-copy} into the message -buffer. Normally @code{gnus-article-copy} is what you are replying to -(@code{message-yank-original}). - -@item C-c C-q -@kindex C-c C-q -@findex message-fill-yanked-message -Fill the yanked message (@code{message-fill-yanked-message}). Warning: -Can severely mess up the yanked text if its quoting conventions are -strange. You'll quickly get a feel for when it's safe, though. Anyway, -just remember that @kbd{C-x u} (@code{undo}) is available and you'll be -all right. - - -@item C-c C-w -@kindex C-c C-w -@findex message-insert-signature -Insert a signature at the end of the buffer -(@code{message-insert-signature}). - -@end table - -@table @code -@item message-ignored-cited-headers -@vindex message-ignored-cited-headers -All headers that match this regexp will be removed from yanked -messages. The default is @samp{.}, which means that all headers will be -removed. - -@item message-citation-line-function -@vindex message-citation-line-function -Function called to insert the citation line. The default is -@code{message-insert-citation-line}, which will lead to citation lines -that look like: - -@example -Hallvard B Furuseth writes: -@end example - -Point will be at the beginning of the body of the message when this -function is called. - -@item message-yank-prefix -@vindex message-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{message-yank-prefix} prepended to it. The default is @samp{> }. -If it is @code{nil}, just indent the message. - -@item message-indentation-spaces -@vindex message-indentation-spaces -Number of spaces to indent yanked messages. - -@item message-cite-function -@vindex message-cite-function -@findex message-cite-original -@findex sc-cite-original -@findex message-cite-original-without-signature -@cindex Supercite -Function for citing an original message. The default is -@code{message-cite-original}, which simply inserts the original message -and prepends @samp{> } to each line. -@code{message-cite-original-without-signature} does the same, but elides -the signature. You can also set it to @code{sc-cite-original} to use -Supercite. - -@item message-indent-citation-function -@vindex message-indent-citation-function -Function for modifying a citation just inserted in the mail buffer. -This can also be a list of functions. Each function can find the -citation between @code{(point)} and @code{(mark t)}. And each function -should leave point and mark around the citation text as modified. - -@item message-signature -@vindex message-signature -String to be inserted at the end of the message buffer. If @code{t} -(which is the default), the @code{message-signature-file} file will be -inserted instead. If a function, the result from the function will be -used instead. If a form, the result from the form will be used instead. -If this variable is @code{nil}, no signature will be inserted at all. - -@item message-signature-file -@vindex message-signature-file -File containing the signature to be inserted at the end of the buffer. -The default is @samp{~/.signature}. - -@end table - -Note that RFC1036bis 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 your 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. - - - -@node Various Commands -@section Various Commands - -@table @kbd - -@item C-c C-r -@kindex C-c C-r -@findex message-caesar-buffer-body -Caesar rotate (aka. rot13) the current message -(@code{message-caesar-buffer-body}). If narrowing is in effect, just -rotate the visible portion of the buffer. A numerical prefix says how -many places to rotate the text. The default is 13. - -@item C-c C-e -@kindex C-c C-e -@findex message-elide-region -Elide the text between point and mark (@code{message-elide-region}). -The text is killed and an ellipsis (@samp{[...]}) will be inserted in -its place. - -@item C-c C-z -@kindex C-c C-x -@findex message-kill-to-signature -Kill all the text up to the signature, or if that's missing, up to the -end of the message (@code{message-kill-to-signature}). - -@item C-c C-v -@kindex C-c C-v -@findex message-delete-not-region -Delete all text in the body of the message that is outside the region -(@code{message-delete-not-region}). - -@item M-RET -@kindex M-RET -@kindex message-newline-and-reformat -Insert four newlines, and then reformat if inside quoted text. - -Here's an example: - -@example -> This is some quoted text. And here's more quoted text. -@end example - -If point is before @samp{And} and you press @kbd{M-RET}, you'll get: - -@example -> This is some quoted text. - -* - -> And here's more quoted text. -@end example - -@samp{*} says where point will be placed. - -@item C-c C-t -@kindex C-c C-t -@findex message-insert-to -Insert a @code{To} header that contains the @code{Reply-To} or -@code{From} header of the message you're following up -(@code{message-insert-to}). - -@item C-c C-n -@kindex C-c C-n -@findex message-insert-newsgroups -Insert a @code{Newsgroups} header that reflects the @code{Followup-To} -or @code{Newsgroups} header of the article you're replying to -(@code{message-insert-newsgroups}). - -@item C-c M-r -@kindex C-c M-r -@findex message-rename-buffer -Rename the buffer (@code{message-rename-buffer}). If given a prefix, -prompt for a new buffer name. - -@end table - - -@node Sending -@section Sending - -@table @kbd -@item C-c C-c -@kindex C-c C-c -@findex message-send-and-exit -Send the message and bury the current buffer -(@code{message-send-and-exit}). - -@item C-c C-s -@kindex C-c C-s -@findex message-send -Send the message (@code{message-send}). - -@item C-c C-d -@kindex C-c C-d -@findex message-dont-send -Bury the message buffer and exit (@code{message-dont-send}). - -@item C-c C-k -@kindex C-c C-k -@findex message-kill-buffer -Kill the message buffer and exit (@code{message-kill-buffer}). - -@end table - - - -@node Mail Aliases -@section Mail Aliases -@cindex mail aliases -@cindex aliases - -@vindex message-mail-alias-type -The @code{message-mail-alias-type} variable controls what type of mail -alias expansion to use. Currently only one form is supported---Message -uses @code{mailabbrev} to handle mail aliases. If this variable is -@code{nil}, no mail alias expansion will be performed. - -@code{mailabbrev} works by parsing the @file{/etc/mailrc} and -@file{~/.mailrc} files. These files look like: - -@example -alias lmi "Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen " -alias ding "ding@@ifi.uio.no (ding mailing list)" -@end example - -After adding lines like this to your @file{~/.mailrc} file, you should -be able to just write @samp{lmi} in the @code{To} or @code{Cc} (and so -on) headers and press @kbd{SPC} to expand the alias. - -No expansion will be performed upon sending of the message---all -expansions have to be done explicitly. - - - -@node Variables -@chapter Variables - -@menu -* Message Headers:: General message header stuff. -* Mail Headers:: Customizing mail headers. -* Mail Variables:: Other mail variables. -* News Headers:: Customizing news headers. -* News Variables:: Other news variables. -* Various Message Variables:: Other message variables. -* Sending Variables:: Variables for sending. -* Message Buffers:: How Message names its buffers. -* Message Actions:: Actions to be performed when exiting. -@end menu - - -@node Message Headers -@section Message Headers - -Message is quite aggressive on the message generation front. It has to -be -- it's a combined news and mail agent. To be able to send combined -messages, it has to generate all headers itself (instead of letting the -mail/news system do it) to ensure that mail and news copies of messages -look sufficiently similar. - -@table @code - -@item message-generate-headers-first -@vindex message-generate-headers-first -If non-@code{nil}, generate all headers before starting to compose the -message. - -@item message-from-style -@vindex message-from-style -Specifies how @code{From} headers should look. There are four valid -values: - -@table @code -@item nil -Just the address -- @samp{king@@grassland.com}. - -@item parens -@samp{king@@grassland.com (Elvis Parsley)}. - -@item angles -@samp{Elvis Parsley }. - -@item default -Look like @code{angles} if that doesn't require quoting, and -@code{parens} if it does. If even @code{parens} requires quoting, use -@code{angles} anyway. - -@end table - -@item message-deletable-headers -@vindex message-deletable-headers -Headers in this list that were previously generated by Message 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 message-default-headers -@vindex message-default-headers -This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message -buffers. - -@item message-subject-re-regexp -@vindex message-subject-re-regexp -Responses to messages have subjects that start with @samp{Re: }. This -is @emph{not} an abbreviation of the English word ``response'', but in -Latin, and means ``in response to''. Some illiterate nincompoops have -failed to grasp this fact, and have ``internationalized'' their software -to use abonimations like @samp{Aw: } (``antwort'') or @samp{Sv: } -(``svar'') instead, which is meaningless and evil. However, you may -have to deal with users that use these evil tools, in which case you may -set this variable to a regexp that matches these prefixes. Myself, I -just throw away non-compliant mail. - -@end table - - -@node Mail Headers -@section Mail Headers - -@table @code -@item message-required-mail-headers -@vindex message-required-mail-headers -@xref{News Headers}, for the syntax of this variable. It is -@code{(From Date Subject (optional . In-Reply-To) Message-ID Lines -(optional . X-Mailer))} by default. - -@item message-ignored-mail-headers -@vindex message-ignored-mail-headers -Regexp of headers to be removed before mailing. The default is -@samp{^[GF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:}. - -@item message-default-mail-headers -@vindex message-default-mail-headers -This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message -buffers that are initialized as mail. - -@end table - - -@node Mail Variables -@section Mail Variables - -@table @code -@item message-send-mail-function -@vindex message-send-mail-function -Function used to send the current buffer as mail. The default is -@code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}. If you prefer using MH -instead, set this variable to @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}. - -@item message-mh-deletable-headers -@vindex message-mh-deletable-headers -Most versions of MH doesn't like being fed messages that contain the -headers in this variable. If this variable is non-@code{nil} (which is -the default), these headers will be removed before mailing when sending -messages via MH. Set it to @code{nil} if your MH can handle these -headers. - -@end table - - -@node News Headers -@section News Headers - -@vindex message-required-news-headers -@code{message-required-news-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 valid: - -@table @code - -@item From -@cindex From -@findex user-full-name -@findex user-mail-address -This required header will be filled out with the result of the -@code{message-make-from} function, which depends on the -@code{message-from-style}, @code{user-full-name}, -@code{user-mail-address} variables. - -@item Subject -@cindex Subject -This required header will be prompted for if not present already. - -@item Newsgroups -@cindex 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 -This optional header will be filled out depending on the -@code{message-user-organization} variable. -@code{message-user-organization-file} will be used if this variable is -@code{t}. This variable can also be a string (in which case this string -will be used), or it can be a function (which will be called with no -parameters and should return a string to be used). - -@item Lines -@cindex Lines -This optional header will be computed by Message. - -@item Message-ID -@cindex Message-ID -@vindex mail-host-address -@findex system-name -@cindex Sun -This required header will be generated by Message. A unique ID will be -created based on the date, time, user name and system name. Message will -use @code{mail-host-address} as the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) -of the machine if that variable is defined. If not, it will use -@code{system-name}, which doesn't report a FQDN on some machines -- -notably Suns. - -@item X-Newsreader -@cindex X-Newsreader -This optional header will be filled out according to the -@code{message-newsreader} local variable. - -@item X-Mailer -This optional header will be filled out according to the -@code{message-mailer} local variable, unless there already is an -@code{X-Newsreader} header present. - -@item In-Reply-To -This optional header is filled out using the @code{Date} and @code{From} -header of the article being replied to. - -@item Expires -@cindex Expires -This extremely optional header will be inserted according to the -@code{message-expires} variable. It is highly deprecated and shouldn't -be used unless you know what you're doing. - -@item Distribution -@cindex Distribution -This optional header is filled out according to the -@code{message-distribution-function} variable. It is a deprecated and -much misunderstood header. - -@item Path -@cindex path -This extremely optional header should probably never be used. -However, some @emph{very} old servers require that this header is -present. @code{message-user-path} further controls how this -@code{Path} header is to look. If it is @code{nil}, use the server name -as the leaf node. If it is a string, use the string. If it is neither -a string nor @code{nil}, use the user name only. However, it is highly -unlikely that you should need to fiddle with this variable at all. -@end table - -@findex yow -@cindex Mime-Version -In addition, you can enter conses into this list. The car of this cons -should be a symbol. This symbol's name is the name of the header, and -the cdr can either be 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 -@code{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. - -If the list contains a cons where the car of the cons is -@code{optional}, the cdr of this cons will only be inserted if it is -non-@code{nil}. - -Other variables for customizing outgoing news articles: - -@table @code - -@item message-syntax-checks -@vindex message-syntax-checks -Controls what syntax checks should not be performed on outgoing posts. -To disable checking of long signatures, for instance, add - -@lisp -(signature . disabled) -@end lisp - -to this list. - -Valid checks are: - -@table @code -@item subject-cmsg -Check the subject for commands. -@item sender -@cindex Sender -Insert a new @code{Sender} header if the @code{From} header looks odd. -@item multiple-headers -Check for the existence of multiple equal headers. -@item sendsys -@cindex 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 -@cindex long lines -Check for too long lines. -@item control-chars -Check for invalid 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. -@item approved -@cindex approved -Check whether the article has an @code{Approved} header, which is -something only moderators should include. -@item empty -Check whether the article is empty. -@item invisible-text -Check whether there is any invisible text in the buffer. -@item empty-headers -Check whether any of the headers are empty. -@item existing-newsgroups -Check whether the newsgroups mentioned in the @code{Newsgroups} and -@code{Followup-To} headers exist. -@item valid-newsgroups -Check whether the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-to} headers -are valid syntactically. -@item repeated-newsgroups -Check whether the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-to} headers -contains repeated group names. -@item shorten-followup-to -Check whether to add a @code{Followup-to} header to shorten the number -of groups to post to. -@end table - -All these conditions are checked by default. - -@item message-ignored-news-headers -@vindex message-ignored-news-headers -Regexp of headers to be removed before posting. The default is@* -@samp{^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^[BGF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:}. - -@item message-default-news-headers -@vindex message-default-news-headers -This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message -buffers that are initialized as news. - -@end table - - -@node News Variables -@section News Variables - -@table @code -@item message-send-news-function -@vindex message-send-news-function -Function used to send the current buffer as news. The default is -@code{message-send-news}. - -@item message-post-method -@vindex message-post-method -Gnusish @dfn{select method} (see the Gnus manual for details) used for -posting a prepared news message. - -@end table - - -@node Various Message Variables -@section Various Message Variables - -@table @code -@item message-signature-separator -@vindex message-signature-separator -Regexp matching the signature separator. It is @samp{^-- *$} by -default. - -@item mail-header-separator -@vindex mail-header-separator -String used to separate the headers from the body. It is @samp{--text -follows this line--} by default. - -@item message-directory -@vindex message-directory -Directory used by many mailey things. The default is @file{~/Mail/}. - -@item message-signature-setup-hook -@vindex message-signature-setup-hook -Hook run when initializing the message buffer. It is run after the -headers have been inserted but before the signature has been inserted. - -@item message-setup-hook -@vindex message-setup-hook -Hook run as the last thing when the message buffer has been initialized, -but before yanked text is inserted. - -@item message-header-setup-hook -@vindex message-header-setup-hook -Hook called narrowed to the headers after initializing the headers. - -For instance, if you're running Gnus and wish to insert a -@samp{Mail-Copies-To} header in all your news articles and all messages -you send to mailing lists, you could do something like the following: - -@lisp -(defun my-message-header-setup-hook () - (let ((group (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))) - (when (or (message-fetch-field "newsgroups") - (gnus-group-find-parameter group 'to-address) - (gnus-group-find-parameter group 'to-list)) - (insert "Mail-Copies-To: never\n")))) - -(add-hook 'message-header-setup-hook - 'my-message-header-setup-hook) -@end lisp - -@item message-send-hook -@vindex message-send-hook -Hook run before sending messages. - -If you want to add certain headers before sending, you can use the -@code{message-add-header} function in this hook. For instance: -@findex message-add-header - -@lisp -(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'my-message-add-content) -(defun my-message-add-content () - (message-add-header - "Mime-Version: 1.0" - "Content-Type: text/plain" - "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit")) -@end lisp - -This function won't add the header if the header is already present. - -@item message-send-mail-hook -@vindex message-send-mail-hook -Hook run before sending mail messages. - -@item message-send-news-hook -@vindex message-send-news-hook -Hook run before sending news messages. - -@item message-sent-hook -@vindex message-sent-hook -Hook run after sending messages. - -@item message-mode-syntax-table -@vindex message-mode-syntax-table -Syntax table used in message mode buffers. - -@item message-send-method-alist -@vindex message-send-method-alist - -Alist of ways to send outgoing messages. Each element has the form - -@lisp -(TYPE PREDICATE FUNCTION) -@end lisp - -@table @var -@item type -A symbol that names the method. - -@item predicate -A function called without any parameters to determine whether the -message is a message of type @var{type}. - -@item function -A function to be called if @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}. -@var{function} is called with one parameter -- the prefix. -@end table - -@lisp -((news message-news-p message-send-via-news) - (mail message-mail-p message-send-via-mail)) -@end lisp - - - -@end table - - - -@node Sending Variables -@section Sending Variables - -@table @code - -@item message-fcc-handler-function -@vindex message-fcc-handler-function -A function called to save outgoing articles. This function will be -called with the name of the file to store the article in. The default -function is @code{message-output} which saves in Unix mailbox format. - -@item message-courtesy-message -@vindex message-courtesy-message -When sending combined messages, this string is inserted at the start of -the mailed copy. If the string contains the format spec @samp{%s}, the -newsgroups the article has been posted to will be inserted there. If -this variable is @code{nil}, no such courtesy message will be added. -The default value is @samp{"The following message is a courtesy copy of -an article\nthat has been posted to %s as well.\n\n"}. - -@end table - - -@node Message Buffers -@section Message Buffers - -Message will generate new buffers with unique buffer names when you -request a message buffer. When you send the message, the buffer isn't -normally killed off. Its name is changed and a certain number of old -message buffers are kept alive. - -@table @code -@item message-generate-new-buffers -@vindex message-generate-new-buffers -If non-@code{nil}, generate new buffers. The default is @code{t}. If -this is a function, call that function with three parameters: The type, -the to address and the group name. (Any of these may be @code{nil}.) -The function should return the new buffer name. - -@item message-use-multi-frames -@vindex message-use-multi-frames -If non-@code{nil}, generate new frames. The default is @code{nil}. - -@item message-delete-frame-on-exit -@vindex message-delete-frame-on-exit -The @code{message-delete-frame-on-exit} variable says whether to delete -the frame after sending the message or killing the message buffer. If it -is @code{nil} (which is the default), don't delete the frame. If it is -@code{ask}, ask wheter to delete the frame. If it is @code{t}, always -delete the frame. - -@item message-max-buffers -@vindex message-max-buffers -This variable says how many old message buffers to keep. If there are -more message buffers than this, the oldest buffer will be killed. The -default is 10. If this variable is @code{nil}, no old message buffers -will ever be killed. - -@item message-send-rename-function -@vindex message-send-rename-function -After sending a message, the buffer is renamed from, for instance, -@samp{*reply to Lars*} to @samp{*sent reply to Lars*}. If you don't -like this, set this variable to a function that renames the buffer in a -manner you like. If you don't want to rename the buffer at all, you can -say: - -@lisp -(setq message-send-rename-function 'ignore) -@end lisp - -@item message-kill-buffer-on-exit -@findex message-kill-buffer-on-exit -If non-@code{nil}, kill the buffer immediately on exit. - -@end table - - -@node Message Actions -@section Message Actions - -When Message is being used from a news/mail reader, the reader is likely -to want to perform some task after the message has been sent. Perhaps -return to the previous window configuration or mark an article as -replied. - -@vindex message-kill-actions -@vindex message-postpone-actions -@vindex message-exit-actions -@vindex message-send-actions -The user may exit from the message buffer in various ways. The most -common is @kbd{C-c C-c}, which sends the message and exits. Other -possibilities are @kbd{C-c C-s} which just sends the message, @kbd{C-c -C-d} which postpones the message editing and buries the message buffer, -and @kbd{C-c C-k} which kills the message buffer. Each of these actions -have lists associated with them that contains actions to be executed: -@code{message-send-actions}, @code{message-exit-actions}, -@code{message-postpone-actions}, and @code{message-kill-actions}. - -Message provides a function to interface with these lists: -@code{message-add-action}. The first parameter is the action to be -added, and the rest of the arguments are which lists to add this action -to. Here's an example from Gnus: - -@lisp - (message-add-action - `(set-window-configuration ,(current-window-configuration)) - 'exit 'postpone 'kill) -@end lisp - -This restores the Gnus window configuration when the message buffer is -killed, postponed or exited. - -An @dfn{action} can be either: a normal function, or a list where the -@code{car} is a function and the @code{cdr} is the list of arguments, or -a form to be @code{eval}ed. - - -@node Compatibility -@chapter Compatibility -@cindex compatibility - -Message uses virtually only its own variables---older @code{mail-} -variables aren't consulted. To force Message to take those variables -into account, you can put the following in your @code{.emacs} file: - -@lisp -(require 'messcompat) -@end lisp - -This will initialize many Message variables from the values in the -corresponding mail variables. - - -@node Appendices -@chapter Appendices - -@menu -* Responses:: Standard rules for determining where responses go. -@end menu - - -@node Responses -@section Responses - -To determine where a message is to go, the following algorithm is used -by default. - -@table @dfn -@item reply -A @dfn{reply} is when you want to respond @emph{just} to the person who -sent the message via mail. There will only be one recipient. To -determine who the recipient will be, the following headers are -consulted, in turn: - -@table @code -@item Reply-To - -@item From -@end table - - -@item wide reply -A @dfn{wide reply} is a mail response that includes @emph{all} entities -mentioned in the message you are responded to. All mailboxes from the -following headers will be concatenated to form the outgoing -@code{To}/@code{Cc} headers: - -@table @code -@item From -(unless there's a @code{Reply-To}, in which case that is used instead). - -@item Cc - -@item To -@end table - -If a @code{Mail-Copies-To} header is present, it will also be included -in the list of mailboxes. If this header is @samp{never}, that means -that the @code{From} (or @code{Reply-To}) mailbox will be suppressed. - - -@item followup -A @dfn{followup} is a response sent via news. The following headers -(listed in order of precedence) determine where the response is to be -sent: - -@table @code - -@item Followup-To - -@item Newsgroups - -@end table - -If a @code{Mail-Copies-To} header is present, it will be used as the -basis of the new @code{Cc} header, except if this header is -@samp{never}. - -@end table - - - -@node Index -@chapter Index -@printindex cp - -@node Key Index -@chapter Key Index -@printindex ky - -@summarycontents -@contents -@bye - -@c End: