4 @settitle T-gnus 6.16 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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294 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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303 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
305 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
311 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
331 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
333 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
334 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
336 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
337 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
338 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
339 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
340 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
341 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
342 License'' in the Emacs manual.
344 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
345 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
346 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
348 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
349 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
350 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
351 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
357 @title T-gnus 6.16 Manual
359 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
362 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
363 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
365 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
367 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
368 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
369 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
370 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
371 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
372 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
373 License'' in the Emacs manual.
375 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
376 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
377 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
379 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
380 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
381 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
382 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
391 @top The gnus Newsreader
395 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using T-gnus. The news
396 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
397 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
400 T-gnus provides @acronym{MIME} features based on @acronym{SEMI} API. So
401 T-gnus supports your right to read strange messages including big images
402 or other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
403 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
404 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities. Oh,
405 if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
407 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.16.
418 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
419 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
421 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
422 being accused of plagiarism:
424 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
425 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
426 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
427 can even read news with it!
429 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
430 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
431 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
432 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
433 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
439 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
440 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
441 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
442 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
443 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
444 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
445 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
446 * Various:: General purpose settings.
447 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
448 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
449 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
450 * Key Index:: Key Index.
452 Other related manuals
454 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
455 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
456 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
457 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
460 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
464 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
465 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
466 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
467 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
468 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
469 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
470 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
471 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
472 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
473 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
474 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
478 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
479 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
480 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
484 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
485 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
486 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
487 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
488 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
489 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
490 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
491 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
492 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
493 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
494 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
495 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
496 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
497 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
498 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
499 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
500 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
504 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
505 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
506 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
510 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
511 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
512 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
513 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
514 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
518 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
519 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
520 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
521 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
522 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
526 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
527 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
528 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
529 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
530 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
531 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
532 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
533 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
534 * Threading:: How threads are made.
535 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
536 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
537 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
538 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
539 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
540 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
541 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
542 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
543 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
544 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
545 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
546 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
547 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
548 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
549 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
550 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
551 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
552 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
553 or reselecting the current group.
554 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
555 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
556 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
557 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
559 Summary Buffer Format
561 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
562 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
563 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
564 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
568 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
569 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
571 Reply, Followup and Post
573 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
574 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
575 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
576 * Canceling and Superseding::
580 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
581 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
582 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
583 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
584 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
585 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
589 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
590 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
592 Customizing Threading
594 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
595 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
596 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
597 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
601 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
602 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
603 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
604 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
605 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
606 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
610 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
611 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
612 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
616 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
617 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
618 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
619 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
620 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
621 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
622 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
623 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
624 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
625 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
626 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
628 Alternative Approaches
630 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
631 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
633 Various Summary Stuff
635 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
636 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
637 * Summary Generation Commands::
638 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
642 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
643 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
644 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
645 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
646 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
650 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
651 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
652 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
653 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
654 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
655 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
656 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
657 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
661 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
662 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
663 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
664 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
665 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
666 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
667 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
668 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
672 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
673 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
674 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
675 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
676 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
677 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
678 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
682 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
683 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
687 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
688 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
689 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
693 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
694 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
695 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
696 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
697 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
698 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
699 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
700 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
701 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
702 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
703 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
704 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
705 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
709 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
710 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
711 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
713 Choosing a Mail Back End
715 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
716 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
717 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
718 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
719 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
720 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
721 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
726 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
727 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
728 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
729 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
730 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
731 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
735 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
736 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
737 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
738 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
739 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
743 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
744 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
745 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
746 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
747 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
751 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
755 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
756 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
757 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
761 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
762 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
766 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
767 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
768 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
769 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
770 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
771 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
772 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
773 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
774 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
775 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
776 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
777 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
778 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
782 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
783 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
784 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
788 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
789 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
790 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
794 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
795 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
796 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
797 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
798 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
799 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
800 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
801 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
802 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
803 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
804 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
805 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
806 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
807 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
808 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
809 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
810 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
814 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
815 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
816 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
817 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
821 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
822 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
823 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
827 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
828 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
829 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
830 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
831 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
832 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
833 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
834 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
835 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
836 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
837 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
838 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
839 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
840 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
841 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
842 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
843 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
844 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
845 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
849 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
850 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
851 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
852 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
853 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
854 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
855 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
856 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
860 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
861 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
862 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
863 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
864 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
868 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
869 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
870 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
871 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
872 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
873 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
875 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
877 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
879 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
880 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
882 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
884 * ifile spam filtering::
885 * spam-stat spam filtering::
887 * Extending the spam elisp package::
889 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
891 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
892 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
893 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
897 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
898 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
899 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
900 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
901 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
902 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
903 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
904 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
905 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ.
909 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
910 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
911 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
912 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
913 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
914 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
915 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
916 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
917 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
921 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
922 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
923 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
924 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
925 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
926 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
930 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
931 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
932 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
933 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
937 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
938 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
939 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
940 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
941 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
942 * Group Info:: The group info format.
943 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
944 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
945 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
949 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
950 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
951 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
952 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
953 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
954 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
958 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
959 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
963 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
964 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
970 @chapter Starting gnus
975 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
976 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
979 @findex gnus-other-frame
980 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
981 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
982 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
984 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
985 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
986 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
988 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
989 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
992 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
993 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
994 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
995 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
996 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
997 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
998 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
999 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
1000 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
1001 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
1002 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
1006 @node Finding the News
1007 @section Finding the News
1008 @cindex finding news
1010 @vindex gnus-select-method
1012 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
1013 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1014 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1015 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1018 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1019 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1022 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1025 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1028 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1031 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1032 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1033 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1035 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1037 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1038 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1039 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1040 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1041 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1042 If that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1043 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1045 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1046 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1047 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1048 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1050 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1051 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1052 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1053 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1054 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1055 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1056 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1057 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1058 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1061 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1063 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1064 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1065 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1066 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1067 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1068 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1070 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1072 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1073 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1074 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1075 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1076 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1077 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1080 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1081 you would typically set this variable to
1084 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1088 @node The First Time
1089 @section The First Time
1090 @cindex first time usage
1092 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1093 be subscribed by default.
1095 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1096 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1097 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1098 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1101 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1102 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1103 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1105 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1106 help you with most common problems.
1108 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1109 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1113 @node The Server is Down
1114 @section The Server is Down
1115 @cindex server errors
1117 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1118 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1119 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1121 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1122 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1123 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1124 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1125 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1126 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1127 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1129 @findex gnus-no-server
1130 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1132 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1133 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1134 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1135 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1136 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1137 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1138 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1142 @section Slave Gnusae
1145 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1146 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1147 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1148 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1150 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1151 @file{.newsrc} file.
1153 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1154 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1155 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1156 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1157 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1158 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1159 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1162 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1163 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1164 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1165 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1166 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1167 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1168 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1169 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1171 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1172 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1174 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1175 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1176 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1177 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1178 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1180 @node Fetching a Group
1181 @section Fetching a Group
1182 @cindex fetching a group
1184 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1185 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1186 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1187 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1188 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1189 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1195 @cindex subscription
1197 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1198 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1199 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1200 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1201 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1202 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1203 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1204 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1205 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1208 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1209 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1210 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1214 @node Checking New Groups
1215 @subsection Checking New Groups
1217 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1218 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1219 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1220 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1221 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1222 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1223 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1224 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1225 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1226 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1228 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1229 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1230 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1231 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1232 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1233 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1234 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1235 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1236 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1237 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1238 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1240 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1241 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1242 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1243 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1244 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1245 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1248 @node Subscription Methods
1249 @subsection Subscription Methods
1251 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1252 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1253 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1255 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1256 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1258 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1264 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1265 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1266 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1268 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1269 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1270 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1271 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1273 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1274 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1275 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1277 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1278 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1279 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1280 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1281 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1282 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1283 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1284 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1285 up. Or something like that.
1287 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1288 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1289 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1290 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1291 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1293 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1294 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1295 Kill all new groups.
1297 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1298 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1299 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1300 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1301 topic parameter that looks like
1307 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1310 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1315 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1316 A closely related variable is
1317 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1318 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1319 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1320 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1323 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1324 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1325 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1326 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1329 @node Filtering New Groups
1330 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1332 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1333 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1334 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1337 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1340 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1341 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1342 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1343 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1344 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1345 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1346 subscribing these groups.
1347 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1348 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1350 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1351 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1352 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1353 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1354 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1355 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1356 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1357 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1359 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1360 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1361 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1362 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1363 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1364 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1365 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1366 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1367 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1368 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1371 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1372 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1375 @node Changing Servers
1376 @section Changing Servers
1377 @cindex changing servers
1379 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1380 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1381 very flaky and you want to use another.
1383 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1384 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1388 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1389 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1390 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1391 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1394 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1395 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1396 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1397 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1399 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1400 @findex gnus-change-server
1401 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1402 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1403 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1404 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1405 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1407 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1408 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1409 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1410 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1411 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1413 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1414 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1415 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1416 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1417 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1418 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1420 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1421 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1422 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1423 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1425 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1426 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1427 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1428 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1429 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1430 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1431 cache for all groups).
1435 @section Startup Files
1436 @cindex startup files
1441 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1442 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1444 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1445 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1446 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1447 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1448 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1449 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1450 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1452 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1453 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1454 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1455 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1456 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1457 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1459 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1460 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1461 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1462 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1463 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1464 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1465 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1466 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1467 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1468 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1470 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1471 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1472 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1473 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1474 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1475 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1476 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1477 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1478 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1479 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1480 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1481 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1483 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1484 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1485 @vindex version-control
1486 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1487 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1488 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1489 If you want version control for this file, set
1490 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1491 @code{version-control} variable.
1493 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1494 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1495 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1496 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1497 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1498 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1499 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1500 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1501 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1502 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1505 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1506 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1508 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1509 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1512 @vindex gnus-init-file
1513 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1514 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1515 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1516 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1517 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1518 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1519 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1520 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1521 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1522 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1528 @cindex dribble file
1531 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1532 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1533 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1534 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1535 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1538 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1539 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1542 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1543 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1544 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1546 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1547 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1548 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1549 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1550 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1551 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1553 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1554 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1555 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1558 @node The Active File
1559 @section The Active File
1561 @cindex ignored groups
1563 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1564 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1565 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1567 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1568 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1569 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1570 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1571 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1572 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1573 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1576 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1577 @c if you set it to anything else.
1579 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1581 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1582 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1583 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1585 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1586 you actually subscribe to.
1588 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1589 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1590 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1591 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1593 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1594 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1595 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1596 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1597 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1598 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1600 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1601 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1602 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1605 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1606 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1607 @acronym{NNTP} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1608 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1609 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1610 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1612 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1613 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1615 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1616 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1618 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1619 secondary select methods.
1622 @node Startup Variables
1623 @section Startup Variables
1627 @item gnus-load-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1629 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1630 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1631 times you start gnus.
1633 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1634 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1635 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1637 @item gnus-startup-hook
1638 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1639 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1641 @item gnus-started-hook
1642 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1643 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1646 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1647 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1648 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1649 generating the group buffer.
1651 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1652 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1653 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1654 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1655 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1656 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1657 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1658 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1660 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1661 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1662 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1663 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1664 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1665 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1667 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1668 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1669 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1671 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1672 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1673 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1675 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1676 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1677 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1678 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1684 @chapter Group Buffer
1685 @cindex group buffer
1687 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1689 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1690 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1691 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1692 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1693 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1694 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1695 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1696 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1697 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1698 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1699 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1700 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1701 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1702 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1703 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1704 @c human rights at 9...
1707 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1708 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1709 long as gnus is active.
1713 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1714 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1715 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1716 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1717 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1718 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1719 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1720 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1726 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1727 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1728 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1729 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1730 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1731 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1732 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1733 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1734 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1735 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1736 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1737 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1738 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1739 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1740 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1741 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1742 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1746 @node Group Buffer Format
1747 @section Group Buffer Format
1750 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1751 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1752 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1756 @node Group Line Specification
1757 @subsection Group Line Specification
1758 @cindex group buffer format
1760 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1761 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1763 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1766 25: news.announce.newusers
1767 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1772 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1773 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1774 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1775 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1777 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1778 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1779 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1780 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1781 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1782 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1784 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1786 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1787 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1788 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1789 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1790 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1792 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1793 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1794 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1796 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1801 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1804 Whether the group is subscribed.
1807 Level of subscribedness.
1810 Number of unread articles.
1813 Number of dormant articles.
1816 Number of ticked articles.
1819 Number of read articles.
1822 Number of unseen articles.
1825 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1826 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1828 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1829 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1830 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1831 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1832 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1833 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1834 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1835 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1838 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1841 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1850 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1851 comment element in the group parameters.
1854 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1855 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1856 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1860 @samp{m} if moderated.
1863 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1869 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1875 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1879 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1882 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1883 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1884 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1885 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1886 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1889 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1891 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1895 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1898 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1902 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1903 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1904 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1905 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1906 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1907 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1912 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1913 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1914 group, or a bogus native group.
1917 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1918 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1919 @cindex group mode line
1921 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1922 The mode line can be changed by setting
1923 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1924 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1928 The native news server.
1930 The native select method.
1934 @node Group Highlighting
1935 @subsection Group Highlighting
1936 @cindex highlighting
1937 @cindex group highlighting
1939 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1940 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1941 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1942 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1943 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1945 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1949 (cond (window-system
1950 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1951 (defface my-group-face-1
1952 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1953 (defface my-group-face-2
1954 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1955 "Second group face")
1956 (defface my-group-face-3
1957 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1958 (defface my-group-face-4
1959 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1960 (defface my-group-face-5
1961 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1963 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1964 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1965 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1966 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1967 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1968 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1971 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1973 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1980 The number of unread articles in the group.
1984 Whether the group is a mail group.
1986 The level of the group.
1988 The score of the group.
1990 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1992 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1993 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1995 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1996 topic being inserted.
1999 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2000 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
2001 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2003 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2004 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2005 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2006 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2007 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2010 @node Group Maneuvering
2011 @section Group Maneuvering
2012 @cindex group movement
2014 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2015 expected, hopefully.
2021 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2022 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2023 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2029 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2030 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2031 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2035 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2036 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2040 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2041 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2045 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2046 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2047 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2051 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2052 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2053 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2056 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2062 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2063 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2064 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2069 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2070 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2071 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2075 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2076 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2077 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2080 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2081 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2082 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2083 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2087 @node Selecting a Group
2088 @section Selecting a Group
2089 @cindex group selection
2094 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2095 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2096 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2097 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2098 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2099 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2100 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2101 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2102 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2103 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2105 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2106 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2107 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2109 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2110 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2115 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2116 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2117 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2118 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2119 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2123 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2124 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2125 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2126 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2127 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2128 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2129 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2130 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2131 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2132 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2135 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2136 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2137 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2138 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2139 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2142 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2143 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2144 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2145 doing any processing of its contents
2146 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2147 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2148 manner will have no permanent effects.
2152 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2153 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2154 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2155 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2156 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2157 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2158 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2159 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2160 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2161 most recently will be fetched.
2163 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2164 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2165 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2168 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2169 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2170 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2171 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2172 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2173 Which article this is is controlled by the
2174 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2180 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2183 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2186 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2188 @item unseen-or-unread
2189 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2190 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2194 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2198 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2199 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2201 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2202 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2203 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2204 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2208 @node Subscription Commands
2209 @section Subscription Commands
2210 @cindex subscription
2218 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2219 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2220 Toggle subscription to the current group
2221 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2227 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2228 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2229 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2230 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2236 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2237 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2238 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2244 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2245 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2248 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2249 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2250 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2251 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2252 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2258 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2259 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2263 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2264 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2267 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2268 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2269 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2270 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2271 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2272 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2273 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2274 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2275 @file{.newsrc} file.
2279 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2289 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2290 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2291 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2292 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2293 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2294 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2299 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2300 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2301 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2305 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2306 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2307 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2309 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2310 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2311 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2312 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2313 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2314 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2321 @section Group Levels
2325 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2326 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2327 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2328 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2329 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2331 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2337 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2338 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2339 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2340 prompted for a level.
2343 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2344 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2345 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2346 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2347 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2348 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2349 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2350 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2351 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2352 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2353 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2354 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2355 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2356 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2357 reasons of efficiency.
2359 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2360 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2362 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2363 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2364 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2365 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2366 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2367 groups are hidden, in a way.
2369 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2370 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2371 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2372 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2373 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2374 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2376 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2377 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2378 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2379 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2380 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2381 list of killed groups.)
2383 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2384 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2385 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2387 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2388 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2389 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2390 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2391 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2392 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2393 relevant valid ranges.
2395 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2396 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2397 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2398 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2399 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2400 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2403 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2404 one with the best level.
2406 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2407 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2408 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2411 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2412 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2413 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2414 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2417 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2418 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2419 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2420 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2422 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2423 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2424 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2425 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2426 to 5. The default is 6.
2430 @section Group Score
2435 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2436 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2437 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2440 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2441 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2442 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2443 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2444 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2445 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2446 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2447 least significant part.))
2449 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2450 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2451 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2452 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2453 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2454 action after each summary exit, you can add
2455 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2456 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2457 slow things down somewhat.
2460 @node Marking Groups
2461 @section Marking Groups
2462 @cindex marking groups
2464 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2465 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2466 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2467 bidding on those groups.
2469 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2470 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2471 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2479 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2480 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2486 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2487 Remove the mark from the current group
2488 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2492 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2493 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2497 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2498 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2502 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2503 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2507 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2508 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2509 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2512 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2514 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2515 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2516 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2517 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2518 the command to be executed.
2521 @node Foreign Groups
2522 @section Foreign Groups
2523 @cindex foreign groups
2525 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2526 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2527 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2528 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2535 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2536 @cindex making groups
2537 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2538 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2539 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2543 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2544 @cindex renaming groups
2545 Rename the current group to something else
2546 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2547 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2553 @findex gnus-group-customize
2554 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2558 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2559 @cindex renaming groups
2560 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2561 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2565 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2566 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2567 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2571 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2572 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2573 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2577 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2579 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2580 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2585 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2586 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2590 @cindex (ding) archive
2591 @cindex archive group
2592 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2593 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2594 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2595 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2596 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2597 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2598 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2602 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2604 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2605 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2606 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2607 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2611 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2613 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2614 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2615 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2619 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2620 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2622 Make a group based on some file or other
2623 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2624 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2625 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2626 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2627 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2628 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2629 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2630 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2631 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2635 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2636 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2637 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2638 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2642 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2646 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2647 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2648 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2649 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2650 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2651 @xref{Web Searches}.
2653 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2654 to a particular group by using a match string like
2655 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2658 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2659 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2660 This function will delete the current group
2661 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2662 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2663 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2664 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2665 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2669 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2670 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2671 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2675 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2676 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2677 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2680 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2683 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2684 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2685 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2686 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2687 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2688 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2692 @node Group Parameters
2693 @section Group Parameters
2694 @cindex group parameters
2696 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2697 Here's an example group parameter list:
2700 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2704 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2705 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2706 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2707 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2709 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2710 is an alist of regexps and values.
2712 The following group parameters can be used:
2717 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2720 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2723 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2724 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2725 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2726 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2727 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2729 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2730 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2731 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2732 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2733 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2734 list address instead.
2736 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2740 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2743 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2746 It is totally ignored
2747 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2748 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2750 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2751 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2752 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2753 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2754 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2756 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2757 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2758 sending the message.
2760 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2761 @cindex mail list groups
2762 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2763 entering summary buffer.
2765 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2770 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2771 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2772 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2773 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2774 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2775 headers for your posts to these lists. @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing
2776 Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for a complete treatment of
2777 available MFT support.
2779 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2780 directly uses this group parameter.
2784 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2785 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2786 of whether it has any unread articles.
2788 @item broken-reply-to
2789 @cindex broken-reply-to
2790 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2791 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2792 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2793 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2794 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2795 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2799 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2800 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2804 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2805 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2806 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2811 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2812 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2813 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2814 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2815 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2816 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2817 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2819 @strong{Caveat}: It yields an error putting @code{(gcc-self . t)} in
2820 groups of an @code{nntp} server or so, because an @code{nntp} server
2821 doesn't accept articles.
2825 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2826 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2827 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2829 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2832 @cindex total-expire
2833 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2834 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2835 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2836 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2839 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2843 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2844 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2845 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2846 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2847 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2848 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2849 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2852 @cindex expiry-target
2853 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2854 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2857 @cindex score file group parameter
2858 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2859 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2860 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2863 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2864 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2865 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2866 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2869 @cindex admin-address
2870 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2871 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2872 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2873 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2877 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2878 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2882 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2885 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2886 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2889 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2893 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2895 Here are some examples:
2899 Display only unread articles.
2902 Display everything except expirable articles.
2904 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2905 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2909 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2910 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2911 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2912 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2913 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2917 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2918 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2919 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2923 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2924 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2925 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2929 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2930 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2931 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2933 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2935 @item ignored-charsets
2936 @cindex ignored-charset
2937 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2938 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2939 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2941 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2944 @cindex posting-style
2945 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2946 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2947 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2948 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2949 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2951 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2952 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2953 like this in the group parameters:
2958 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2959 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2964 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2965 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2969 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2970 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2971 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2972 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2973 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2977 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2978 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2979 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2980 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2982 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2983 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2984 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2985 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2988 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2989 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2993 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
2994 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
2996 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2997 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2998 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2999 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3000 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3001 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3002 @code{eval}ed there.
3004 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3005 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3006 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3007 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3008 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3009 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3010 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3011 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3014 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3017 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3018 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3019 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3022 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3025 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3026 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3027 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3028 into the group parameters for the group.
3030 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
3031 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
3032 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
3033 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
3034 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
3038 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3039 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3040 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3041 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3042 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3044 @vindex gnus-parameters
3045 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3046 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3050 (setq gnus-parameters
3052 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3053 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3054 (gnus-summary-line-format
3055 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3059 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3063 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3067 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3070 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3071 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3074 @node Listing Groups
3075 @section Listing Groups
3076 @cindex group listing
3078 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3086 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3087 List all groups that have unread articles
3088 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3089 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3090 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3091 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3098 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3099 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3100 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3101 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3102 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3103 unsubscribed groups).
3107 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3108 List all unread groups on a specific level
3109 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3110 with no unread articles.
3114 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3115 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3116 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3117 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3122 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3123 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3127 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3128 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3129 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3133 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3134 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3138 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3139 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3140 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3141 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3142 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3143 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3144 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3145 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3149 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3150 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3151 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3155 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3156 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3157 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3161 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3162 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3166 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3167 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3171 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3172 List groups limited within the current selection
3173 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3177 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3178 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3182 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3183 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3187 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3188 @cindex visible group parameter
3189 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3190 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3191 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3192 get the same effect.
3194 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3195 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3196 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3197 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3198 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3201 @node Sorting Groups
3202 @section Sorting Groups
3203 @cindex sorting groups
3205 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3206 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3207 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3208 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3209 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3210 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3215 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3216 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3217 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3219 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3221 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3223 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3224 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3225 Sort by group level.
3227 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3228 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3229 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3231 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3232 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3233 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3234 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3236 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3237 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3238 Sort by number of unread articles.
3240 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3241 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3242 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3244 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3245 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3246 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3251 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3252 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3256 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3257 some sorting criteria:
3261 @kindex G S a (Group)
3262 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3263 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3264 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3267 @kindex G S u (Group)
3268 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3269 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3270 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3273 @kindex G S l (Group)
3274 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3275 Sort the group buffer by group level
3276 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3279 @kindex G S v (Group)
3280 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3281 Sort the group buffer by group score
3282 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3285 @kindex G S r (Group)
3286 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3287 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3288 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3291 @kindex G S m (Group)
3292 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3293 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3294 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3297 @kindex G S n (Group)
3298 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3299 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3300 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3304 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3305 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3307 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3308 commands will sort in reverse order.
3310 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3314 @kindex G P a (Group)
3315 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3316 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3317 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3320 @kindex G P u (Group)
3321 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3322 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3323 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3326 @kindex G P l (Group)
3327 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3328 Sort the groups by group level
3329 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3332 @kindex G P v (Group)
3333 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3334 Sort the groups by group score
3335 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3338 @kindex G P r (Group)
3339 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3340 Sort the groups by group rank
3341 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3344 @kindex G P m (Group)
3345 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3346 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3347 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3350 @kindex G P n (Group)
3351 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3352 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3353 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3356 @kindex G P s (Group)
3357 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3358 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3362 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3366 @node Group Maintenance
3367 @section Group Maintenance
3368 @cindex bogus groups
3373 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3374 Find bogus groups and delete them
3375 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3379 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3380 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3381 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3382 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3383 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3387 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3388 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3389 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3390 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3391 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3392 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3395 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3396 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3397 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3398 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3403 @node Browse Foreign Server
3404 @section Browse Foreign Server
3405 @cindex foreign servers
3406 @cindex browsing servers
3411 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3412 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3413 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3414 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3417 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3418 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3419 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3420 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3422 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3427 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3428 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3432 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3433 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3436 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3437 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3438 Enter the current group and display the first article
3439 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3442 @kindex RET (Browse)
3443 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3444 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3448 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3449 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3450 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3456 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3457 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3461 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3462 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3466 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3467 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3468 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3473 @section Exiting gnus
3474 @cindex exiting gnus
3476 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3481 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3482 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3483 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3484 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3488 @findex gnus-group-exit
3489 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3490 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3494 @findex gnus-group-quit
3495 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3496 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3499 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3500 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3501 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3502 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3503 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3504 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3510 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3511 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3512 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3518 @section Group Topics
3521 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3522 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3523 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3524 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3525 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3526 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3530 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3531 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3542 2: alt.religion.emacs
3545 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3547 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3548 13: comp.sources.unix
3551 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3553 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3554 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3555 is a toggling command.)
3557 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3558 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3559 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3560 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3563 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3564 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3565 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3568 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3572 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3573 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3574 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3575 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3576 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3580 @node Topic Commands
3581 @subsection Topic Commands
3582 @cindex topic commands
3584 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3585 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3586 definitions slightly.
3588 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3589 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3590 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3591 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3592 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3593 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3595 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3602 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3603 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3604 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3608 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3610 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3611 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3612 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3613 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3616 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3617 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3618 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3619 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3623 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3624 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3625 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3626 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3632 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3633 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3634 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3638 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3639 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3640 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3643 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3644 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3645 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3646 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3647 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3649 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3650 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3654 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3655 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3662 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3664 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3665 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3666 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3667 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3668 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3669 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3673 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3679 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3680 Move the current group to some other topic
3681 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3682 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3686 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3687 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3691 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3692 Copy the current group to some other topic
3693 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3694 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3698 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3699 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3700 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3704 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3705 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3706 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3710 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3711 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3712 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3713 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3714 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3715 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3716 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3719 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3720 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3724 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3725 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3726 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3730 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3731 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3732 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3736 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3737 Toggle hiding empty topics
3738 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3742 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3743 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3744 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3745 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3748 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3749 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3750 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3751 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3752 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3755 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3756 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3757 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3758 expiry process (if any)
3759 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3763 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3764 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3767 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3768 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3769 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3773 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3774 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3775 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3778 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3779 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3780 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3783 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3784 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3785 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3789 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3790 @cindex group parameters
3791 @cindex topic parameters
3793 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3794 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3799 @node Topic Variables
3800 @subsection Topic Variables
3801 @cindex topic variables
3803 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3804 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3806 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3807 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3808 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3821 Number of groups in the topic.
3823 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3825 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3828 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3829 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3830 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3833 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3834 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3836 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3837 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3838 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3842 @subsection Topic Sorting
3843 @cindex topic sorting
3845 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3851 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3852 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3853 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3854 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3857 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3858 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3859 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3860 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3863 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3864 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3865 Sort the current topic by group level
3866 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3869 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3870 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3871 Sort the current topic by group score
3872 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3875 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3876 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3877 Sort the current topic by group rank
3878 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3881 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3882 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3883 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3884 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3887 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3888 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3889 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3890 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3894 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3895 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3896 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3897 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3901 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3902 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3906 @node Topic Topology
3907 @subsection Topic Topology
3908 @cindex topic topology
3911 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3918 2: alt.religion.emacs
3921 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3923 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3924 13: comp.sources.unix
3928 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3929 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3930 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3935 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3936 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3940 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3941 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3942 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3943 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3944 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3945 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3947 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3948 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3949 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3952 @node Topic Parameters
3953 @subsection Topic Parameters
3954 @cindex topic parameters
3956 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3957 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3958 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3960 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3965 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3966 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3967 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3970 @item subscribe-level
3971 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3972 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3973 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3977 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3978 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3979 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3980 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3986 2: alt.religion.emacs
3990 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3992 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3993 13: comp.sources.unix
3997 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3998 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3999 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4000 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4001 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4002 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4004 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4005 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4006 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4007 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4008 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4010 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4011 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4012 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4013 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4014 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4015 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4016 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4017 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4020 @node Misc Group Stuff
4021 @section Misc Group Stuff
4024 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4025 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4026 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4027 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4028 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4035 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4036 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4037 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4041 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4042 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4043 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4044 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4045 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4046 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4047 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4051 @findex gnus-group-mail
4052 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4053 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4054 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4055 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4059 @findex gnus-group-news
4060 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4061 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4062 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4064 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4065 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4066 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4067 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4068 for this to work though.
4072 Variables for the group buffer:
4076 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4077 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4078 is called after the group buffer has been
4081 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4082 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4083 is called after the group buffer is
4084 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4087 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4088 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4089 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4090 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4092 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4093 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4094 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4095 whether they are empty or not.
4097 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4098 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4099 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4100 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4104 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4105 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4108 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4109 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4110 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4111 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4112 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4113 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4114 default is @code{nil}.
4118 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4119 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4124 @node Scanning New Messages
4125 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4126 @cindex new messages
4127 @cindex scanning new news
4133 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4134 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4135 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4136 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4137 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4138 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4143 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4144 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4145 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4146 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4147 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4148 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4149 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4151 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4152 @cindex activating groups
4154 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4155 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4160 @findex gnus-group-restart
4161 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4162 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4163 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4167 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4168 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4170 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4171 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4175 @node Group Information
4176 @subsection Group Information
4177 @cindex group information
4178 @cindex information on groups
4185 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4186 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4189 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4190 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4191 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4192 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4193 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4194 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4195 used for fetching the file.
4197 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4198 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4202 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4203 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4205 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4206 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4209 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4210 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4211 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4215 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4216 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4217 @cindex control message
4218 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4219 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4220 group if given a prefix argument.
4222 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4223 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4224 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4225 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4227 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4228 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4229 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4233 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4235 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4236 @cindex describing groups
4237 @cindex group description
4238 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4239 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4240 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4244 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4245 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4246 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4253 @findex gnus-version
4254 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4258 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4259 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4262 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4265 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4266 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4270 @node Group Timestamp
4271 @subsection Group Timestamp
4273 @cindex group timestamps
4275 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4276 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4277 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4280 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4283 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4285 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4286 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4289 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4290 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4293 This will result in lines looking like:
4296 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4297 0: custom 19961002T012713
4300 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4301 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4305 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4306 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4309 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4310 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4314 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4315 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4316 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4317 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4319 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4325 @subsection File Commands
4326 @cindex file commands
4332 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4333 @vindex gnus-init-file
4334 @cindex reading init file
4335 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4336 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4340 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4341 @cindex saving .newsrc
4342 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4343 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4344 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4347 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4348 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4349 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4354 @node Sieve Commands
4355 @subsection Sieve Commands
4356 @cindex group sieve commands
4358 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4359 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4360 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4361 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4362 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4364 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4365 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4366 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4367 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4368 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4369 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4370 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4371 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4372 regenerate the Sieve script.
4374 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4375 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4376 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4377 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4378 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4379 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4380 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4381 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4382 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4383 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4386 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4387 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4392 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4398 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4399 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4400 @cindex generating sieve script
4401 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4402 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4406 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4407 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4408 @cindex updating sieve script
4409 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4410 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4411 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4416 @node Summary Buffer
4417 @chapter Summary Buffer
4418 @cindex summary buffer
4420 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4421 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4423 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4424 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4426 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4429 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4430 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4431 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4432 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4433 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4434 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4435 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4436 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4437 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4438 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4439 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4440 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4441 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4442 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4443 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4444 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4445 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4446 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4447 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4448 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4449 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4450 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4451 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4452 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4453 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4454 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4455 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4456 or reselecting the current group.
4457 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4458 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4459 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4460 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4464 @node Summary Buffer Format
4465 @section Summary Buffer Format
4466 @cindex summary buffer format
4470 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4471 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4472 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4478 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4479 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4480 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4481 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4484 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4485 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4486 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4487 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4488 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4489 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4490 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4491 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4492 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4493 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4494 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4495 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4496 other function instead:
4499 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4500 'mail-extract-address-components)
4503 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4504 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4505 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4506 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4509 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4510 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4512 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4513 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4514 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4515 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4516 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4518 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4519 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4520 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4521 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4522 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4523 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4525 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4527 The following format specification characters and extended format
4528 specification(s) are understood:
4534 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4535 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4537 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4538 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4539 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4541 Full @code{From} header.
4543 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4545 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4548 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4549 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4550 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4551 may be more thorough.
4553 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4556 Number of lines in the article.
4558 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4559 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4561 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4562 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4564 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4566 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4567 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4580 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4581 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4582 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4583 line-drawing glyphs.
4585 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4586 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4587 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4588 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4590 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4591 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4592 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4593 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4595 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4596 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4597 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4598 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4600 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4601 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4602 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4604 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4605 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4606 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4608 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4609 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4610 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4612 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4613 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4614 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4619 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4620 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4622 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4623 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4625 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4626 for adopted articles.
4628 One space for each thread level.
4630 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4632 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4635 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4636 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4637 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4640 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4642 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4643 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4644 default level. If the difference between
4645 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4646 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4654 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4656 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4662 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4663 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4665 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4666 article has any children.
4672 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4673 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4675 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4676 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4677 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4678 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4679 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4680 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4683 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4684 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4685 There can only be one such area.
4687 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4688 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4689 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4690 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4691 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4692 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4694 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4695 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4697 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4700 @node To From Newsgroups
4701 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4705 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4706 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4707 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4708 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4709 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4713 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4714 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4715 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4719 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4720 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4723 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4724 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4727 @findex gnus-extra-header
4728 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4729 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4730 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4733 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4737 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4738 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4739 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4740 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4741 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4742 headers are used instead.
4746 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4747 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4748 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4749 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4750 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4751 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4754 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4755 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4756 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4757 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4759 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4763 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4765 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4766 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4767 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4768 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4772 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4775 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4776 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4779 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4780 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4781 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4787 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4788 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4791 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4792 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4794 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4795 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4796 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4797 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4799 Here are the elements you can play with:
4805 Unprefixed group name.
4807 Current article number.
4809 Current article score.
4813 Number of unread articles in this group.
4815 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4818 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4819 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4820 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4821 and no unselected ones.
4823 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4824 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4826 Subject of the current article.
4828 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4830 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4832 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4834 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4836 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4838 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4842 @node Summary Highlighting
4843 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4847 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4848 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4849 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4850 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4851 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4853 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4854 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4855 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4856 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4858 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4859 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4860 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4861 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4863 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4864 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4865 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4866 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4867 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4868 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4871 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4872 ((> score default) . bold))
4874 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4875 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4879 @node Summary Maneuvering
4880 @section Summary Maneuvering
4881 @cindex summary movement
4883 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4884 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4886 None of these commands select articles.
4891 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4892 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4893 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4894 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4895 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4899 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4900 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4901 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4902 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4903 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4906 @kindex G g (Summary)
4907 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4908 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4909 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4912 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4913 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4914 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4915 to the group buffer.
4917 Variables related to summary movement:
4921 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4922 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4923 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4924 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4925 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4926 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4927 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4928 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4929 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4930 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4931 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4932 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4933 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4934 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4936 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4937 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4938 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4939 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4940 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4941 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4942 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4944 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4946 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4947 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4948 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4949 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4950 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4952 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4953 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4954 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4955 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4956 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4957 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4958 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4959 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4962 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4963 the given number of lines from the top.
4968 @node Choosing Articles
4969 @section Choosing Articles
4970 @cindex selecting articles
4973 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4974 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4978 @node Choosing Commands
4979 @subsection Choosing Commands
4981 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4982 and they all select and display an article.
4984 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4985 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4989 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4990 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4991 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4992 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4994 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4995 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4996 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5001 @kindex G n (Summary)
5002 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5003 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5004 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5009 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5010 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5011 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5016 @kindex G N (Summary)
5017 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5018 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5023 @kindex G P (Summary)
5024 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5025 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5028 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5029 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5030 Go to the next article with the same subject
5031 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5034 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5035 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5036 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5037 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5041 @kindex G f (Summary)
5043 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5044 Go to the first unread article
5045 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5049 @kindex G b (Summary)
5051 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5052 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5053 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5054 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5059 @kindex G l (Summary)
5060 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5061 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5064 @kindex G o (Summary)
5065 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5067 @cindex article history
5068 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5069 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5070 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5071 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5072 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5073 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5078 @kindex G j (Summary)
5079 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5080 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5081 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5086 @node Choosing Variables
5087 @subsection Choosing Variables
5089 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5092 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5093 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5094 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5095 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5096 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5097 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5099 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5100 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5101 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5102 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5103 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5104 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5106 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5107 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5108 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5109 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5110 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5111 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5112 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5113 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5114 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5115 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5116 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5117 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5118 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5119 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5124 @node Paging the Article
5125 @section Scrolling the Article
5126 @cindex article scrolling
5131 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5132 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5133 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5134 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5135 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5137 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5138 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5139 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5140 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5141 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5142 what is considered uninteresting with
5143 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5144 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5147 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5148 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5149 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5152 @kindex RET (Summary)
5153 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5154 Scroll the current article one line forward
5155 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5158 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5159 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5160 Scroll the current article one line backward
5161 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5165 @kindex A g (Summary)
5167 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5168 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5169 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5170 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5171 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5172 the way it came from the server.
5174 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5175 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5176 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5179 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5184 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5189 @kindex A < (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5191 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5192 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5197 @kindex A > (Summary)
5198 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5199 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5203 @kindex A s (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5206 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5207 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5211 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5212 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5217 @node Reply Followup and Post
5218 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5221 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5222 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5223 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5224 * Canceling and Superseding::
5228 @node Summary Mail Commands
5229 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5231 @cindex composing mail
5233 Commands for composing a mail message:
5239 @kindex S r (Summary)
5241 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5242 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5243 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5244 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5245 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5250 @kindex S R (Summary)
5251 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5252 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5253 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5254 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5255 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5258 @kindex S w (Summary)
5259 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5260 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5261 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5262 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5263 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5264 present, that's used instead.
5267 @kindex S W (Summary)
5268 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5269 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5270 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5271 the process/prefix convention.
5274 @kindex S v (Summary)
5275 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5276 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5277 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5278 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5279 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5280 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5283 @kindex S V (Summary)
5284 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5285 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5286 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5287 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5290 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5291 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5292 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5293 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5294 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5295 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5296 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5297 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5300 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5301 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5302 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5303 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5304 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5308 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5309 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5310 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5311 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5312 Forward the current article to some other person
5313 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5314 headers of the forwarded article.
5319 @kindex S m (Summary)
5320 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5321 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5322 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5323 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5324 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5329 @kindex S i (Summary)
5330 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5331 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5332 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5333 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5335 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5336 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5337 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5338 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5339 for this to work though.
5342 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5343 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5344 @cindex bouncing mail
5345 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5346 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5347 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5348 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5349 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5350 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5351 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5352 very well fail, though.
5355 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5356 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5357 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5358 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5359 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5360 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5361 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5362 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5363 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5364 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5366 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5367 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5368 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5369 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5370 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5372 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5373 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5376 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5377 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5378 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5379 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5380 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5383 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5384 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5385 @cindex crossposting
5386 @cindex excessive crossposting
5387 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5388 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5390 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5391 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5392 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5393 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5394 command understands the process/prefix convention
5395 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5399 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5400 Manual}, for more information.
5403 @node Summary Post Commands
5404 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5406 @cindex composing news
5408 Commands for posting a news article:
5414 @kindex S p (Summary)
5415 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5416 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5417 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5418 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5419 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5424 @kindex S f (Summary)
5425 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5426 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5427 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5431 @kindex S F (Summary)
5433 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5434 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5435 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5436 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5437 process/prefix convention.
5440 @kindex S n (Summary)
5441 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5442 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5443 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5446 @kindex S N (Summary)
5447 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5448 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5449 message through mail and include the original message
5450 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5451 the process/prefix convention.
5454 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5455 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5456 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5457 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5458 headers of the forwarded article.
5461 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5462 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5464 @cindex making digests
5465 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5466 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5467 process/prefix convention.
5470 @kindex S u (Summary)
5471 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5472 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5473 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5474 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5477 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5478 Manual}, for more information.
5481 @node Summary Message Commands
5482 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5486 @kindex S y (Summary)
5487 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5488 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5489 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5490 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5491 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5496 @node Canceling and Superseding
5497 @subsection Canceling Articles
5498 @cindex canceling articles
5499 @cindex superseding articles
5501 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5502 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5504 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5506 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5508 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5509 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5510 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5511 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5512 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5513 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5515 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5516 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5519 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5520 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5521 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5523 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5524 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5525 your original article.
5527 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5529 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5530 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5531 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5534 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5535 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5536 have posted almost the same article twice.
5538 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5539 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5540 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5541 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5542 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5543 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5544 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5545 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5546 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5547 canceled/superseded.
5549 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5551 @node Delayed Articles
5552 @section Delayed Articles
5553 @cindex delayed sending
5554 @cindex send delayed
5556 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5557 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5558 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5559 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5562 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5565 @findex gnus-delay-article
5566 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5567 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5568 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5569 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5573 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5574 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5575 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5576 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5579 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5580 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5581 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5584 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5585 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5586 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5587 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5588 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5589 that means a time tomorrow.
5592 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5593 couple of variables:
5596 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5597 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5598 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5599 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5601 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5602 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5603 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5604 formats described above.
5606 @item gnus-delay-group
5607 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5608 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5609 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5610 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5612 @item gnus-delay-header
5613 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5614 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5615 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5616 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5619 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5620 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5621 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5622 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5623 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5625 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5626 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5627 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5628 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5629 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5630 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5631 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5634 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5635 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5637 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5638 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5639 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5640 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5641 argument is ignored.
5643 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5644 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5645 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5649 @node Marking Articles
5650 @section Marking Articles
5651 @cindex article marking
5652 @cindex article ticking
5655 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5657 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5658 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5659 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5661 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5664 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5665 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5666 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5670 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5674 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5675 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5676 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5680 @node Unread Articles
5681 @subsection Unread Articles
5683 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5688 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5689 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5691 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5692 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5693 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5694 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5695 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5696 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5697 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5700 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5701 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5703 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5704 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5705 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5706 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5710 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5711 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5713 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5718 @subsection Read Articles
5719 @cindex expirable mark
5721 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5726 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5727 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5728 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5731 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5732 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5735 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5736 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5737 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5740 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5741 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5744 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5745 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5748 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5749 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5752 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5753 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5756 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5757 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5760 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5761 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5764 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5765 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5769 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5770 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5771 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5775 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5776 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5778 One more special mark, though:
5782 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5783 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5785 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5786 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5787 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5788 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5794 @subsection Other Marks
5795 @cindex process mark
5798 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5804 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5805 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5806 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5807 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5808 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5811 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5812 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5813 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5814 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5817 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5818 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5819 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5822 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5823 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5824 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5827 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5828 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5829 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5830 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5833 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5834 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5835 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5836 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5837 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5838 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5841 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5842 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5843 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5844 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5847 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5848 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5849 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5850 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5851 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5855 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5856 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5857 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5858 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5859 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5860 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5863 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5864 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5865 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5866 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5867 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5868 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5872 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5873 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5874 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5875 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5876 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5879 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5880 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5881 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5882 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5883 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5884 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5888 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5889 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5890 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5892 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5893 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5894 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5898 @subsection Setting Marks
5899 @cindex setting marks
5901 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5906 @kindex M c (Summary)
5907 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5908 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5909 @cindex mark as unread
5910 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5911 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5917 @kindex M t (Summary)
5918 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5919 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5920 @xref{Article Caching}.
5925 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5926 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5927 Mark the current article as dormant
5928 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5932 @kindex M d (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5935 Mark the current article as read
5936 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5940 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5941 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5942 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5947 @kindex M k (Summary)
5948 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5949 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5950 and then select the next unread article
5951 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5955 @kindex M K (Summary)
5956 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5957 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5958 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5959 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5962 @kindex M C (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5964 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5965 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5968 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5969 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5970 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5971 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5974 @kindex M H (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5976 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5977 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5980 @kindex M h (Summary)
5981 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5982 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5983 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5986 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5988 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5989 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5992 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5994 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5995 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5999 @kindex M e (Summary)
6001 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6002 Mark the current article as expirable
6003 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6006 @kindex M b (Summary)
6007 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6008 Set a bookmark in the current article
6009 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6012 @kindex M B (Summary)
6013 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6014 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6015 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6018 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6019 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6020 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6021 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6024 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6025 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6026 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6027 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6030 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6031 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6032 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6033 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6034 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6037 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6038 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6039 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6040 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6041 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6042 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6043 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6044 The default is @code{t}.
6047 @node Generic Marking Commands
6048 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6050 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6051 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6052 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6053 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6054 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6057 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6058 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6061 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6062 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6063 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6064 to list in this manual.
6066 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6067 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6068 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6069 article, you could say something like:
6073 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6074 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6075 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6083 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6084 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6088 @node Setting Process Marks
6089 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6090 @cindex setting process marks
6092 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6093 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6094 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6095 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6096 commands into the cache. For more information,
6097 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6104 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6105 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6106 Mark the current article with the process mark
6107 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6108 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6112 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6113 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6114 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6115 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6118 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6120 Remove the process mark from all articles
6121 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6124 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6125 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6126 Invert the list of process marked articles
6127 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6130 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6131 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6132 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6133 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6136 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6138 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6139 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6142 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6143 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6144 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6148 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6149 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6152 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6153 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6154 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6155 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6158 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6159 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6160 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6161 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6164 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6165 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6166 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6167 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6170 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6171 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6172 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6175 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6176 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6177 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6178 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6181 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6182 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6183 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6186 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6187 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6188 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6189 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6192 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6193 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6194 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6195 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6198 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6199 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6200 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6201 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6204 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6205 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6206 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6207 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6211 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6212 set process marks based on article body contents.
6219 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6220 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6221 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6224 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6225 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6226 additional articles.
6232 @kindex / / (Summary)
6233 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6234 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6235 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6239 @kindex / a (Summary)
6240 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6241 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6242 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6246 @kindex / x (Summary)
6247 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6248 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6249 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6250 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6255 @kindex / u (Summary)
6257 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6258 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6259 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6260 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6261 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6264 @kindex / m (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6266 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6267 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6270 @kindex / t (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6272 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6273 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6274 articles younger than that number of days.
6277 @kindex / n (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6279 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6281 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6284 @kindex / w (Summary)
6285 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6286 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6287 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6291 @kindex / . (Summary)
6292 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6293 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6294 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6297 @kindex / v (Summary)
6298 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6299 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6300 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6303 @kindex / p (Summary)
6304 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6305 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6306 group parameter predicate
6307 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6308 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6312 @kindex M S (Summary)
6313 @kindex / E (Summary)
6314 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6315 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6316 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6319 @kindex / D (Summary)
6320 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6321 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6322 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6325 @kindex / * (Summary)
6326 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6327 Include all cached articles in the limit
6328 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6331 @kindex / d (Summary)
6332 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6333 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6334 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6337 @kindex / M (Summary)
6338 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6339 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6342 @kindex / T (Summary)
6343 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6344 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6347 @kindex / c (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6349 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6350 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6353 @kindex / C (Summary)
6354 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6355 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6356 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6357 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6360 @kindex / N (Summary)
6361 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6362 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6363 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6366 @kindex / o (Summary)
6367 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6368 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6369 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6377 @cindex article threading
6379 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6380 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6381 hierarchical fashion.
6383 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6384 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6385 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6386 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6387 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6388 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6389 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6391 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6395 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6398 A tree-like article structure.
6401 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6404 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6405 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6406 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6407 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6408 called loose threads.
6410 @item thread gathering
6411 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6413 @item sparse threads
6414 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6415 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6421 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6422 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6426 @node Customizing Threading
6427 @subsection Customizing Threading
6428 @cindex customizing threading
6431 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6432 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6433 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6434 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6439 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6442 @cindex loose threads
6445 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6446 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6447 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6448 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6449 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6450 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6452 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6453 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6454 There are four possible values:
6458 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6459 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6460 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6461 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6462 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6467 @cindex adopting articles
6472 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6473 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6474 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6475 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6478 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6479 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6480 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6481 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6482 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6483 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6484 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6485 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6486 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6487 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6490 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6491 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6492 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6496 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6497 display them after one another.
6500 Don't gather loose threads.
6503 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6504 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6505 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6506 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6507 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6508 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6509 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6510 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6511 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6512 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6513 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6515 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6516 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6517 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6520 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6521 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6522 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6523 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6524 simplification is used.
6526 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6527 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6528 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6529 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6531 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6533 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6539 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6540 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6541 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6542 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6547 (mapconcat 'identity
6548 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6550 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6553 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6556 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6557 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6558 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6559 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6560 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6561 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6563 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6566 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6567 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6568 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6570 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6571 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6574 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6575 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6576 Remove excessive whitespace.
6578 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6579 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6580 Remove all whitespace.
6583 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6586 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6587 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6588 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6589 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6590 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6591 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6592 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6593 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6595 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6596 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6597 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6598 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6599 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6600 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6601 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6602 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6603 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6607 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6608 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6609 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6610 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6612 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6613 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6614 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6617 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6621 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6622 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6628 @node Filling In Threads
6629 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6632 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6633 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6634 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6635 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6636 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6637 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6638 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6639 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6640 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6641 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6642 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6643 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6646 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6647 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6648 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6650 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6651 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6652 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6655 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6656 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6657 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6658 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6659 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6660 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6661 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6662 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6663 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6664 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6665 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6666 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6667 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6668 @code{nil} by default.
6670 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6671 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6672 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6673 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6674 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6675 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6676 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6678 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6679 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6680 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6685 @node More Threading
6686 @subsubsection More Threading
6689 @item gnus-show-threads
6690 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6691 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6692 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6693 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6694 slower and more awkward.
6696 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6697 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6698 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6701 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6702 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6703 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6708 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6709 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6710 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6713 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6714 unread, but you get my drift.)
6717 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6718 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6719 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6720 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6721 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6722 threads are expunged.
6724 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6725 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6726 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6729 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6730 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6731 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6732 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6733 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6734 result in a new thread.
6736 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6737 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6738 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6741 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6742 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6743 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6744 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6745 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6746 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6747 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6748 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6749 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6750 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6751 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6756 @node Low-Level Threading
6757 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6761 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6762 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6763 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6764 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6765 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6766 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6768 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6769 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6770 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6771 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6772 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6773 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6774 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6775 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6776 meaningful. Here's one example:
6779 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6781 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6782 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6784 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6786 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6793 @node Thread Commands
6794 @subsection Thread Commands
6795 @cindex thread commands
6801 @kindex T k (Summary)
6802 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6803 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6804 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6805 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6806 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6811 @kindex T l (Summary)
6812 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6813 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6814 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6815 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6818 @kindex T i (Summary)
6819 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6820 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6821 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6824 @kindex T # (Summary)
6825 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6826 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6827 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6830 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6831 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6832 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6833 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6836 @kindex T T (Summary)
6837 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6838 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6841 @kindex T s (Summary)
6842 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6843 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6844 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6847 @kindex T h (Summary)
6848 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6849 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6852 @kindex T S (Summary)
6853 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6854 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6857 @kindex T H (Summary)
6858 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6859 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6862 @kindex T t (Summary)
6863 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6864 Re-thread the current article's thread
6865 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6866 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6869 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6870 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6871 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6872 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6876 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6877 understand the numeric prefix.
6882 @kindex T n (Summary)
6884 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6886 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6887 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6888 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6891 @kindex T p (Summary)
6893 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6895 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6896 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6897 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6900 @kindex T d (Summary)
6901 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6902 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6905 @kindex T u (Summary)
6906 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6907 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6910 @kindex T o (Summary)
6911 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6912 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6915 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6916 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6917 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6918 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6919 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6920 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6921 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6922 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6923 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6924 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6925 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6926 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6930 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6931 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6933 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6934 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6935 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6936 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6937 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6938 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6939 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6940 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6941 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6942 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6943 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6944 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6945 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6946 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6948 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6949 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6950 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6951 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6952 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6953 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6954 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6955 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6957 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6958 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6959 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6961 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6962 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6963 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6964 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6965 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6966 ascending article order.
6968 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6969 by number, you could do something like:
6972 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6973 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6974 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6975 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6978 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6979 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6980 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6981 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6982 which the articles arrived.
6984 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6988 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6990 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6991 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6994 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6995 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6996 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6997 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7000 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7001 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7002 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7003 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7004 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7005 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7006 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7007 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7008 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7009 variable. It is very similar to the
7010 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7011 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7012 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7013 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7014 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7015 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7016 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7018 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7022 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7023 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7024 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7029 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7030 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7031 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7032 @cindex article pre-fetch
7035 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7036 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7037 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7038 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7039 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7041 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7042 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
7044 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7045 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7046 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7047 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7048 connection is blocked.
7050 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7051 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7052 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7053 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
7055 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7056 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7057 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7058 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7061 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7064 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7065 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7066 happen automatically.
7068 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7069 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7070 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7071 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7072 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7073 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7074 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7076 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7077 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7078 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7079 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7080 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7081 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7082 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7083 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7084 article data structure as the only parameter.
7086 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7087 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7090 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7091 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7092 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7093 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7096 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7099 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7100 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
7101 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7103 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7104 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7105 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7106 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7110 Remove articles when they are read.
7113 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7116 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7118 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7119 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7120 @c from the next group.
7123 @node Article Caching
7124 @section Article Caching
7125 @cindex article caching
7128 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7129 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7130 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7131 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7132 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7134 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7136 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7137 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7138 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7139 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7140 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7141 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7142 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7143 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7145 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7146 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7147 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7148 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7149 as dormant, and don't worry.
7151 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7153 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7154 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7155 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7156 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7157 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7158 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7159 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7160 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7161 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7162 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7164 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7165 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7166 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7167 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7168 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7169 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7170 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7171 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7172 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7173 not then be downloaded by this command.
7175 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7176 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7177 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7178 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7179 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7180 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7182 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7183 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7184 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7185 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7186 variables, the group is not cached.
7188 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7189 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7190 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7191 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7192 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7193 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
7194 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7195 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7196 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7199 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7200 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7201 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7202 where, isn't that cool?
7204 @node Persistent Articles
7205 @section Persistent Articles
7206 @cindex persistent articles
7208 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7209 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7210 useful in my opinion.
7212 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7213 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7214 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7215 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7216 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7217 the expiry going on at the news server.
7219 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7220 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7221 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7227 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7228 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7231 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7232 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7233 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7234 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7238 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7240 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7241 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7242 interested in persistent articles:
7245 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7249 @node Article Backlog
7250 @section Article Backlog
7252 @cindex article backlog
7254 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7255 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7256 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7257 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7258 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7259 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7260 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7261 increase memory usage some.
7263 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7264 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7265 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7266 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7267 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7268 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7269 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7271 The default value is 20.
7274 @node Saving Articles
7275 @section Saving Articles
7276 @cindex saving articles
7278 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7279 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7280 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7281 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7282 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7284 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7285 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7286 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7288 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7289 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7290 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7292 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7293 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7294 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7295 deleted before saving.
7301 @kindex O o (Summary)
7303 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7304 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7305 Save the current article using the default article saver
7306 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7309 @kindex O m (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7311 Save the current article in mail format
7312 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7315 @kindex O r (Summary)
7316 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7317 Save the current article in Rmail format
7318 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7321 @kindex O f (Summary)
7322 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7323 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7324 Save the current article in plain file format
7325 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7328 @kindex O F (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7330 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7331 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7334 @kindex O b (Summary)
7335 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7336 Save the current article body in plain file format
7337 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7340 @kindex O h (Summary)
7341 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7342 Save the current article in mh folder format
7343 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7346 @kindex O v (Summary)
7347 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7348 Save the current article in a VM folder
7349 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7353 @kindex O p (Summary)
7355 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7356 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7357 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7358 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7359 complete headers in the piped output.
7362 @kindex O P (Summary)
7363 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7364 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7365 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7366 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7367 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7368 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7369 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7373 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7374 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7375 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7376 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7377 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7378 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7379 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7380 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7381 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7382 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7383 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7384 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7388 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7389 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7390 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7391 functions below, or you can create your own.
7395 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7396 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7397 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7398 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7399 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7400 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7401 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7403 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7404 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7405 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7406 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7407 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7408 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7410 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7411 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7412 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7413 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7414 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7415 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7416 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7418 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7419 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7420 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7421 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7422 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7423 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7425 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7426 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7427 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7428 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7429 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7431 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7432 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7433 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7434 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7435 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7438 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7439 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7440 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7441 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7442 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7444 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7445 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7446 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7447 reader to use this setting.
7450 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7451 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7452 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7453 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7456 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7457 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7458 available functions that generate names:
7462 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7463 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7464 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7466 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7467 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7468 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7470 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7471 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7472 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7474 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7475 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7476 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7478 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7479 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7480 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7483 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7484 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7485 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7486 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7487 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7491 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7492 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7493 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7494 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7497 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7498 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7499 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7500 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7501 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7502 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7503 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7504 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7505 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7507 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7508 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7509 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7510 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7512 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7513 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7514 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7517 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7518 lots of mail groups called things like
7519 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7520 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7521 following will do just that:
7524 (defun my-save-name (group)
7525 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7526 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7528 (setq gnus-split-methods
7529 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7534 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7535 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7536 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7537 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7538 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7539 all the files in the top level directory
7540 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7541 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7542 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7543 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7545 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7546 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7547 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7548 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7549 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7552 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7556 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7557 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7558 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7561 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7562 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7563 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7564 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7567 @node Decoding Articles
7568 @section Decoding Articles
7569 @cindex decoding articles
7571 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7572 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7575 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7576 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7577 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7578 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7579 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7580 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7584 @cindex article series
7585 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7586 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7587 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7588 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7589 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7591 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7592 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7593 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7595 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7596 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7597 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7599 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7600 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7601 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7604 @node Uuencoded Articles
7605 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7607 @cindex uuencoded articles
7612 @kindex X u (Summary)
7613 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7614 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7615 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7618 @kindex X U (Summary)
7619 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7620 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7621 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7624 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7625 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7626 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7629 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7630 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7631 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7632 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7636 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7637 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7638 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7639 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7640 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7642 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7643 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7644 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7645 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7648 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7649 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7650 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7651 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7652 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7653 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7657 @node Shell Archives
7658 @subsection Shell Archives
7660 @cindex shell archives
7661 @cindex shared articles
7663 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7664 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7665 some commands to deal with these:
7670 @kindex X s (Summary)
7671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7672 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7675 @kindex X S (Summary)
7676 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7677 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7680 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7681 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7682 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7685 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7686 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7687 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7688 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7692 @node PostScript Files
7693 @subsection PostScript Files
7699 @kindex X p (Summary)
7700 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7701 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7704 @kindex X P (Summary)
7705 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7706 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7707 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7710 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7711 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7712 View the current PostScript series
7713 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7716 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7717 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7718 View and save the current PostScript series
7719 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7724 @subsection Other Files
7728 @kindex X o (Summary)
7729 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7730 Save the current series
7731 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7734 @kindex X b (Summary)
7735 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7736 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7737 doesn't really work yet.
7741 @node Decoding Variables
7742 @subsection Decoding Variables
7744 Adjective, not verb.
7747 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7748 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7749 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7753 @node Rule Variables
7754 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7755 @cindex rule variables
7757 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7758 variables are of the form
7761 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7768 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7769 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7771 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7772 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7775 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7776 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7779 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7780 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7781 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7782 user and default view rules.
7784 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7785 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7786 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7791 @node Other Decode Variables
7792 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7795 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7797 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7798 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7799 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7800 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7801 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7805 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7806 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7809 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7810 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7811 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7814 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7815 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7816 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7817 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7818 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7821 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7822 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7823 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7825 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7826 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7827 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7828 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7829 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7832 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7833 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7834 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7836 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7837 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7838 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7839 looking for files to display.
7841 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7842 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7843 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7846 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7847 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7848 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7851 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7852 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7853 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7856 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7857 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7858 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7861 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7862 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7863 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7864 decoded articles as unread.
7866 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7867 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7868 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7869 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7871 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7872 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7873 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7875 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7876 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7878 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7879 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7880 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7881 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7883 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7884 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7885 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7886 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7887 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7888 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7889 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7890 simply dropped them.
7895 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7896 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7900 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7901 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7902 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7903 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7904 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7905 for you when you post the article.
7907 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7908 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7909 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7910 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7912 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7913 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7914 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7915 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7916 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7917 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7918 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7920 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7921 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7922 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7923 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7924 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7925 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7926 Default is @code{t}.
7932 @subsection Viewing Files
7933 @cindex viewing files
7934 @cindex pseudo-articles
7936 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7937 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7938 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7939 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7940 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7941 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7942 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7944 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7945 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7946 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7947 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7949 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7950 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7951 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7953 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7954 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7955 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7956 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7957 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7959 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7960 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7961 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7962 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7963 a list of parameters to that command.
7965 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7966 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7967 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7969 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7970 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7971 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7974 @node Article Treatment
7975 @section Article Treatment
7977 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7978 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7979 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7980 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7981 these articles easier.
7984 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7985 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7986 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7987 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7988 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7989 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7990 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
7991 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7992 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7993 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7994 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
7998 @node Article Highlighting
7999 @subsection Article Highlighting
8000 @cindex highlighting
8002 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8003 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8008 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8009 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8010 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8011 Do much highlighting of the current article
8012 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8013 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8016 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8017 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8018 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8019 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8020 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8021 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8022 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8023 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8024 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8025 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8026 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8027 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8030 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8031 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8032 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8034 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8037 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8039 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8040 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8041 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8043 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8044 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8045 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8047 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8048 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8049 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8050 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8051 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8052 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8054 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8055 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8056 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8058 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8059 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8060 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8062 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8063 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8064 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8065 that it's a citation.
8067 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8068 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8069 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8071 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8072 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8073 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8075 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8076 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8077 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8078 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8084 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8085 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8086 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8087 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8088 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8089 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8090 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8091 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8096 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8099 @node Article Fontisizing
8100 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8102 @cindex article emphasis
8104 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8105 @kindex W e (Summary)
8106 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8107 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8108 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8109 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8111 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8112 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8113 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8114 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8115 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8116 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8117 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8118 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8122 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8123 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8124 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8133 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8134 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8135 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8136 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8137 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8138 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8139 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8140 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8141 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8142 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8143 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8144 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8145 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8147 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8148 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8149 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8153 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8156 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8158 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8159 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8160 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8161 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8163 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8166 @node Article Hiding
8167 @subsection Article Hiding
8168 @cindex article hiding
8170 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8171 too much cruft in most articles.
8176 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8177 @findex gnus-article-hide
8178 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8179 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8180 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8183 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8184 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8185 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8189 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8190 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8191 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8192 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8195 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8196 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8197 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8201 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8202 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8203 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8204 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8205 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8206 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8207 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8208 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8212 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8213 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8214 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8215 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8220 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8221 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8222 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8223 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8226 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8227 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8228 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8229 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8232 @cindex stripping advertisements
8233 @cindex advertisements
8234 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8235 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8236 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8237 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8238 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8239 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8240 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8241 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8242 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8243 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8246 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8247 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8248 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8252 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8253 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8254 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8255 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8256 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8257 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8258 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8259 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8260 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8261 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8262 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8265 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8266 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8272 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8273 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8274 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8275 customizing the hiding:
8279 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8280 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8281 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8282 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8283 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8284 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8285 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8290 Starting point of the hidden text.
8292 Ending point of the hidden text.
8294 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8296 Number of lines of hidden text.
8299 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8300 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8301 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8302 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8303 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8308 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8309 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8311 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8312 following two variables:
8315 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8316 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8317 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8318 50), hide the cited text.
8320 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8321 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8322 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8327 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8328 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8329 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8330 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8331 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8332 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8336 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8337 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8338 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8340 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8341 citation customization.
8343 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8347 @node Article Washing
8348 @subsection Article Washing
8350 @cindex article washing
8352 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8353 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8355 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8356 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8359 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8360 articles by default.
8365 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8366 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8370 Force redisplaying of the current article
8371 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8372 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8373 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8374 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8377 @kindex W l (Summary)
8378 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8379 Remove page breaks from the current article
8380 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8384 @kindex W r (Summary)
8385 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8386 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8387 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8388 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8389 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8390 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8392 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8393 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8394 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8395 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8398 @kindex W m (Summary)
8399 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8400 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8404 @kindex W t (Summary)
8406 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8407 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8408 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8411 @kindex W v (Summary)
8412 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8413 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8414 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8417 @kindex W m (Summary)
8418 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8419 Toggle whether to run the article through @acronym{MIME} before
8420 displaying (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8423 @kindex W o (Summary)
8424 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8425 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8428 @kindex W d (Summary)
8429 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8430 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8432 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8434 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8435 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8436 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8437 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8440 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8441 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8442 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8443 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8446 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8447 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8448 @cindex Outlook Express
8449 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8450 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8451 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8454 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8455 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8456 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8457 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8458 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8459 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8460 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8461 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8462 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8463 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8466 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8467 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8468 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8469 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8472 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8473 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8474 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8475 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8478 @kindex W w (Summary)
8479 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8480 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8482 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8486 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8487 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8488 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8491 @kindex W C (Summary)
8492 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8493 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8494 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8497 @kindex W c (Summary)
8498 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8499 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8500 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8501 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8502 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8504 @kindex W q (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8506 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8507 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8508 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8509 makes strings like @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which
8510 doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually done
8511 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8512 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8513 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8516 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8517 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8518 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8519 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8520 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8521 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8522 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8523 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8526 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8527 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8528 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8529 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8530 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8533 @kindex W u (Summary)
8534 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8535 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8536 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8537 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8538 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8541 @kindex W h (Summary)
8542 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8543 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8544 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8545 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8547 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8549 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8550 The default is to use the function specified by
8551 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8552 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8553 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8554 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8562 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8565 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8568 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8571 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8576 @kindex W b (Summary)
8577 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8578 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8579 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8582 @kindex W B (Summary)
8583 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8584 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8585 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8588 @kindex W p (Summary)
8589 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8590 Verify a signed control message
8591 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8592 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8593 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8594 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8595 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8596 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8599 @kindex W s (Summary)
8600 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8601 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8602 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8603 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8606 @kindex W a (Summary)
8607 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8608 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8609 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8612 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8613 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8614 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8615 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8618 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8619 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8620 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8621 lines with a single empty line.
8622 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8625 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8626 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8627 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8628 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8631 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8632 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8633 Do all the three commands above
8634 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8637 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8639 Remove all blank lines
8640 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8643 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8644 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8645 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8646 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8649 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8650 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8651 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8652 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8656 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8659 @node Article Header
8660 @subsection Article Header
8662 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8667 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8668 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8669 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8672 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8673 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8674 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8675 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8678 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8679 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8680 Fold all the message headers
8681 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8685 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8686 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8687 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8692 @node Article Buttons
8693 @subsection Article Buttons
8696 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8697 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8698 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8699 button on these references.
8701 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8702 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8703 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8704 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8705 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8709 @item gnus-button-alist
8710 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8711 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8714 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8720 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8721 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8722 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8723 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8724 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8727 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8728 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8729 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8732 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8733 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8734 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8735 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8736 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8738 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8741 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8744 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8745 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8749 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8752 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8755 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8756 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8757 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8758 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8759 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8762 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8765 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8768 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8771 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8772 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8774 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8776 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8777 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8778 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8779 default values of the variables above.
8781 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8783 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8784 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8785 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8786 argument with a string naming the man page.
8788 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8790 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8791 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8792 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8794 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8795 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8796 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8797 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8798 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8799 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8800 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8801 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8802 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8803 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8804 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8805 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8807 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8808 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8809 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8810 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8811 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8814 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8815 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8816 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8817 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8819 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8821 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8822 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8823 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8824 argument, the string naming the URL.
8827 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8828 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8829 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8833 @item gnus-article-button-face
8834 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8835 Face used on buttons.
8837 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8838 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8839 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8843 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8846 @node Article Button Levels
8847 @subsection Article button levels
8848 @cindex button levels
8849 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8850 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8851 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8852 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8853 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8854 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8855 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8856 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8859 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8860 (setq gnus-parameters
8861 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8862 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8863 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8868 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8869 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8870 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8871 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8872 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8873 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8875 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8876 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8877 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8878 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8879 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8880 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8881 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8882 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8883 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8884 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8885 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8886 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8887 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8889 @item gnus-button-man-level
8890 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8891 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8892 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8894 @item gnus-button-message-level
8895 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8896 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8897 Related variables and functions include
8898 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8899 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8900 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8901 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8903 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8904 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8905 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8906 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8907 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8908 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8909 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8915 @subsection Article Date
8917 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8918 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8919 when the article was sent.
8924 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8925 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8926 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8927 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8930 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8931 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8933 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8934 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8937 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8938 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8939 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8942 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8943 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8944 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8945 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8948 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8949 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8950 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8951 @findex format-time-string
8952 Display the date using a user-defined format
8953 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8954 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8955 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8956 for a list of possible format specs.
8959 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8960 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8961 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8962 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8963 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8964 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8967 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8970 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8971 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8972 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8975 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8976 into wonderful absurdities.
8978 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8981 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8984 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8985 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8989 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8990 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8991 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8992 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8993 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8994 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8995 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8999 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9000 preferred format automatically.
9003 @node Article Display
9004 @subsection Article Display
9009 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9010 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9012 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9013 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9015 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9016 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9018 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9019 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9021 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9022 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9024 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9029 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9030 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9031 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9032 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9035 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9036 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9037 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9038 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9041 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9042 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9043 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9046 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9047 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9048 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9051 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9052 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9053 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9054 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9057 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9058 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9059 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9060 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9063 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9064 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9065 Remove all images from the article buffer
9066 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9072 @node Article Signature
9073 @subsection Article Signature
9075 @cindex article signature
9077 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9078 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9079 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9080 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9081 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9082 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9083 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9084 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9085 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9088 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9089 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9090 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9091 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9092 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9093 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9094 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9095 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9098 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9101 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9102 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9103 signature when displaying articles.
9107 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9110 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9113 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9114 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9116 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9117 in question is not a signature.
9120 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9121 listed above. Here's an example:
9124 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9125 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9128 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9129 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9130 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9131 signature after all.
9134 @node Article Miscellanea
9135 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9139 @kindex A t (Summary)
9140 @findex gnus-article-babel
9141 Translate the article from one language to another
9142 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9148 @section MIME Commands
9149 @cindex MIME decoding
9151 @cindex viewing attachments
9153 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9154 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9160 @kindex K v (Summary)
9161 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9164 @kindex K o (Summary)
9165 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9168 @kindex K c (Summary)
9169 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9172 @kindex K e (Summary)
9173 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9176 @kindex K i (Summary)
9177 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9180 @kindex K | (Summary)
9181 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9184 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9189 @kindex K b (Summary)
9190 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9191 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9195 @kindex K m (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9197 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9198 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9199 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9200 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9203 @kindex X m (Summary)
9204 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9205 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9206 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9207 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9210 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9211 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9212 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9213 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9216 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9217 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9218 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9219 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9222 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9223 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9224 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9225 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9227 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9228 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9229 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9230 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9231 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9232 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9235 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9236 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9237 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9238 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9245 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9246 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9247 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9248 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9251 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9254 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9258 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9259 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9260 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9261 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9262 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9263 default is @code{nil}.
9265 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9266 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9267 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9268 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9269 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9270 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9271 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9273 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9274 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9275 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9276 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9277 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9278 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9279 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9280 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9282 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9283 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9284 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9285 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9286 displayed. This variable overrides
9287 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9288 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9291 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9292 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9293 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9295 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9296 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9297 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9298 default value is @code{nil}.
9300 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9301 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9302 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9303 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9304 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9305 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9306 save all jpegs into some directory).
9308 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9311 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9312 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9314 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9315 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9316 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9317 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9318 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9321 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9322 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9323 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9325 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9326 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9327 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9328 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9330 Ready-made functions include@*
9331 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9332 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9333 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9334 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9335 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9336 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9337 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9338 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9339 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9340 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9341 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9342 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9344 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9345 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9347 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9348 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9349 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9352 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9353 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9354 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9355 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9359 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9368 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9369 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9370 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9371 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9372 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9373 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9374 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9376 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9377 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9378 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9379 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9381 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9382 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9383 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9384 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9385 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9386 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9387 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9388 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9389 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9391 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9392 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9393 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9394 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9395 quoted-printable header encoding.
9397 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9398 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9399 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9403 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9406 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9407 means encode all charsets),
9409 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9410 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9411 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9418 @cindex coding system aliases
9419 @cindex preferred charset
9421 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9423 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9424 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9427 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9428 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9431 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9432 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9434 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9437 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9440 This will almost do the right thing.
9442 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9446 (codepage-setup 1251)
9447 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9451 @node Article Commands
9452 @section Article Commands
9459 @kindex A P (Summary)
9460 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9461 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9462 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9463 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9464 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9465 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9470 @node Summary Sorting
9471 @section Summary Sorting
9472 @cindex summary sorting
9474 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9475 can't really see why you'd want that.
9480 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9481 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9482 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9485 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9486 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9487 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9490 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9491 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9492 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9495 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9496 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9497 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9500 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9501 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9502 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9505 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9506 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9507 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9510 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9511 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9512 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9515 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9516 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9517 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9520 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9521 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9522 Sort using the default sorting method
9523 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9526 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9527 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9528 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9529 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9530 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9534 @node Finding the Parent
9535 @section Finding the Parent
9536 @cindex parent articles
9537 @cindex referring articles
9542 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9543 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9544 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9545 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9546 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9547 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9548 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9549 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9550 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9552 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9553 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9554 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9555 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9556 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9560 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9561 @kindex A R (Summary)
9562 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9563 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9566 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9567 @kindex A T (Summary)
9568 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9569 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9570 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9571 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9572 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9573 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9574 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9576 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9577 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9578 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9579 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9580 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9581 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9584 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9585 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9587 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9588 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9589 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9590 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9591 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9592 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9593 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9596 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9597 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9598 by giving this command a prefix.
9600 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9601 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9602 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9603 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9604 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9605 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9608 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9609 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9610 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9613 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9614 then ask Google if that fails:
9617 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9619 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9622 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9623 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9624 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9625 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9626 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9627 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9628 support this at all.
9631 @node Alternative Approaches
9632 @section Alternative Approaches
9634 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9635 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9638 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9639 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9644 @subsection Pick and Read
9645 @cindex pick and read
9647 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9648 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9649 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9650 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9652 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9653 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9654 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9655 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9656 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9657 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9659 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9664 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9665 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9666 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9667 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9668 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9669 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9670 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9671 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9674 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9675 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9676 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9677 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9681 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9682 Unpick the thread or article
9683 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9684 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9685 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9686 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9687 the thread or article at that line.
9691 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9692 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9693 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9694 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9695 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9696 will still be visible when you are reading.
9700 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9701 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9702 which is mapped to the same function
9703 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9705 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9708 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9711 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9712 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9714 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9715 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9716 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9718 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9719 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9720 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9721 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9722 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9723 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9724 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9728 @subsection Binary Groups
9729 @cindex binary groups
9731 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9732 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9733 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9734 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9735 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9736 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9737 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9740 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9741 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9742 command, when you have turned on this mode
9743 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9745 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9746 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9750 @section Tree Display
9753 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9754 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9755 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9756 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9759 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9762 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9763 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9764 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9766 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9767 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9768 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9769 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9770 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9772 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9773 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9774 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9775 default is @code{modeline}.
9777 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9778 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9779 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9780 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9781 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9782 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9783 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9789 The name of the poster.
9791 The @code{From} header.
9793 The number of the article.
9795 The opening bracket.
9797 The closing bracket.
9802 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9804 Variables related to the display are:
9807 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9808 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9809 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9810 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9812 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9813 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9814 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9816 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9818 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9819 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9820 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9821 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9825 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9826 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9827 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9828 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9829 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9830 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9831 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9832 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9833 other windows displayed next to it.
9835 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9839 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9840 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9843 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9844 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9845 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9846 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9847 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9848 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9849 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9853 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9856 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9866 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9871 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9872 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9874 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9876 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9882 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9883 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9884 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9887 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9888 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9889 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9890 (gnus-add-configuration
9894 (summary 0.75 point)
9899 @xref{Window Layout}.
9902 @node Mail Group Commands
9903 @section Mail Group Commands
9904 @cindex mail group commands
9906 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9907 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9909 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9910 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9915 @kindex B e (Summary)
9916 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9917 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9918 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9919 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9920 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9923 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9925 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9926 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9927 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9928 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9931 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9932 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9933 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9934 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9935 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9936 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9939 @kindex B m (Summary)
9941 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9942 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9943 Move the article from one mail group to another
9944 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9945 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9948 @kindex B c (Summary)
9950 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9951 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9952 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9953 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9954 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9957 @kindex B B (Summary)
9958 @cindex crosspost mail
9959 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9960 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9961 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9962 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9963 be properly updated.
9966 @kindex B i (Summary)
9967 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9968 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9969 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9970 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9973 @kindex B I (Summary)
9974 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9975 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9976 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9977 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9980 @kindex B r (Summary)
9981 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9982 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9983 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9984 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9985 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9986 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9987 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9988 (which is the default).
9992 @kindex B w (Summary)
9994 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9995 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9996 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9997 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9998 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9999 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10000 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10003 @kindex B q (Summary)
10004 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10005 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10006 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10007 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10010 @kindex B t (Summary)
10011 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10012 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10013 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10016 @kindex B p (Summary)
10017 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10018 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10019 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10020 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10021 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10022 article from your news server (or rather, from
10023 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10024 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10025 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10026 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10027 just not have arrived yet.
10030 @kindex K E (Summary)
10031 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10032 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10033 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10034 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10035 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10039 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10040 @cindex moving articles
10041 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
10042 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10043 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10044 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10045 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10046 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10047 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10050 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10051 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10052 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10053 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10057 @node Various Summary Stuff
10058 @section Various Summary Stuff
10061 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10062 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10063 * Summary Generation Commands::
10064 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10068 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10069 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10070 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10071 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10072 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10073 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10075 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10076 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10077 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10080 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10081 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10082 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10084 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10085 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10086 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10087 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10088 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10089 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10092 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10093 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10094 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10095 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10096 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10098 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10099 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10100 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10103 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10104 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10105 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10106 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10107 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10108 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10109 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
10110 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10111 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10112 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10114 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10115 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10116 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10117 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10118 list of articles to be selected.
10120 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10121 the list in one particular group:
10124 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10125 (if (string= group "some.group")
10126 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10130 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10131 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10132 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10133 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10134 @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary buffer is
10135 active. These variables can be used to set variables in the group
10136 parameters while still allowing them to affect operations done in
10137 other buffers. For example:
10140 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10141 '(message-use-followup-to
10142 (gnus-visible-headers .
10143 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10149 @node Summary Group Information
10150 @subsection Summary Group Information
10155 @kindex H f (Summary)
10156 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10157 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10158 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10159 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10160 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10161 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10162 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10163 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10164 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10167 @kindex H d (Summary)
10168 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10169 Give a brief description of the current group
10170 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10171 rereading the description from the server.
10174 @kindex H h (Summary)
10175 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10176 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10177 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10180 @kindex H i (Summary)
10181 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10182 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10186 @node Searching for Articles
10187 @subsection Searching for Articles
10192 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10193 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10194 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10195 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10198 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10199 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10200 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10201 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10204 @kindex & (Summary)
10205 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10206 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10207 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10208 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10209 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10210 search backward instead.
10212 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10213 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10216 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10217 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10218 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10219 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10222 @node Summary Generation Commands
10223 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10228 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10229 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10230 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10233 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10234 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10235 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10236 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10239 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10240 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10241 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10242 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10247 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10248 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10254 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10255 @kindex A D (Summary)
10256 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10257 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10258 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10259 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10260 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10261 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10262 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10263 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10267 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10268 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10269 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10270 several documents into one biiig group
10271 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10272 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10273 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10274 command understands the process/prefix convention
10275 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10278 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10279 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10280 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10281 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10282 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10283 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10286 @kindex = (Summary)
10287 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10288 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10289 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10292 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10293 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10294 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10295 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10298 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10299 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10300 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10301 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10306 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10307 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10308 @cindex summary exit
10309 @cindex exiting groups
10311 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10312 group and return you to the group buffer.
10318 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10319 @kindex q (Summary)
10320 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10321 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10322 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10323 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10324 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10325 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10326 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10327 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10328 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10329 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10330 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10331 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10335 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10336 @kindex Q (Summary)
10337 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10338 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10339 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10343 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10344 @kindex c (Summary)
10345 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10346 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10347 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10348 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10351 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10352 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10353 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10354 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10357 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10358 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10359 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10360 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10363 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10364 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10365 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10366 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10367 all articles, both read and unread.
10371 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10372 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10373 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10374 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10375 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10376 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10377 articles, both read and unread.
10380 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10381 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10382 Exit the group and go to the next group
10383 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10386 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10387 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10388 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10389 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10392 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10393 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10394 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10395 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10396 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10397 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10400 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10401 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10402 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10403 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10405 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10406 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10407 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10408 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10409 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10410 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10411 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10412 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10413 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10414 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10415 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10416 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10418 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10420 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10421 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10422 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10423 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10424 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10425 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10426 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10427 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10428 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10431 @node Crosspost Handling
10432 @section Crosspost Handling
10436 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10437 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10438 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10439 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10440 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10441 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10444 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10445 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10446 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10447 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10448 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10450 @cindex cross-posting
10452 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10453 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10454 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10455 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10456 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10457 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10458 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10459 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10460 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10461 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10462 the cross reference mechanism.
10464 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10465 @cindex overview.fmt
10466 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10467 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10468 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10469 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10470 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10471 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10474 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10475 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10476 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10481 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10484 @node Duplicate Suppression
10485 @section Duplicate Suppression
10487 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10488 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10489 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10490 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10495 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10496 is evil and not very common.
10499 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10500 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10503 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10504 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10507 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10510 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10511 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10513 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10514 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10515 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10516 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10517 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10518 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10519 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10522 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10523 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10524 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10525 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10526 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10527 saw the article in.
10530 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10531 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10532 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10534 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10535 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10536 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10537 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10538 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10539 session are suppressed.
10541 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10542 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10543 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10544 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10546 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10547 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10548 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10549 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10552 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10553 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10554 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10555 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10556 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10557 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10558 to you to figure out, I think.
10563 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10564 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10565 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10570 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10571 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10572 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10573 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10576 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10577 or newer is recommended.
10581 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10582 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10585 @item mm-verify-option
10586 @vindex mm-verify-option
10587 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10588 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10589 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10591 @item mm-decrypt-option
10592 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10593 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10594 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10595 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10598 @vindex mml1991-use
10599 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10600 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10601 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10605 @vindex mml2015-use
10606 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10607 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10608 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10613 @cindex snarfing keys
10614 @cindex importing PGP keys
10615 @cindex PGP key ring import
10616 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10617 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10618 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10619 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10620 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10621 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10622 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10623 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10624 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10627 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10630 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10631 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10634 @section Mailing List
10635 @cindex mailing list
10638 @kindex A M (summary)
10639 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10640 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10641 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10642 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10645 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10650 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10651 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10652 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10655 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10656 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10657 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10660 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10661 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10662 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10666 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10667 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10668 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10671 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10672 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10673 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10676 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10677 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10678 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10683 @node Article Buffer
10684 @chapter Article Buffer
10685 @cindex article buffer
10687 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10688 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10689 tell gnus otherwise.
10692 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10693 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10694 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10695 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10696 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10700 @node Hiding Headers
10701 @section Hiding Headers
10702 @cindex hiding headers
10703 @cindex deleting headers
10705 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10706 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10708 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10709 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10710 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10711 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10712 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10713 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10714 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10715 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10716 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10718 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10722 @item gnus-visible-headers
10723 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10724 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10725 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10726 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10728 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10729 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10732 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10735 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10738 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10739 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10740 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10741 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10742 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10743 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10745 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10746 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10749 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10752 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10755 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10756 variable will have no effect.
10760 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10761 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10762 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10763 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10764 the headers are to be displayed.
10766 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10767 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10770 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10773 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10774 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10776 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10777 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10778 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10779 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10780 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10781 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10782 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10785 These conditions are:
10788 Remove all empty headers.
10790 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10791 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10793 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10794 @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter is
10797 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10800 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10801 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10803 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10804 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10806 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10807 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10809 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10812 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10814 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10817 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10820 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10821 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10824 This is also the default value for this variable.
10828 @section Using MIME
10829 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10831 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10832 while people stand around yawning.
10834 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10835 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10837 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10838 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10839 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10841 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10842 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10843 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10844 gnus handles @acronym{MIME} by pushing the articles through
10845 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10846 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10847 calls the @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For
10848 more information on @acronym{SEMI} MIME-View, see its manual page
10849 (however it is not existed yet, sorry).
10851 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10852 @acronym{MIME} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set,
10853 then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10854 These can't be avoided.
10856 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10857 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10858 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10859 @acronym{MIME} has decoded the sound file in the article and some
10860 horrible sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you
10861 can't find the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are
10862 starting to look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't,
10863 and you can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else
10864 in the room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll
10865 feel rather stupid.)
10867 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10869 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10870 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10871 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10872 buffer when there are nobody else.
10874 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10877 @node Customizing Articles
10878 @section Customizing Articles
10879 @cindex article customization
10881 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10882 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10883 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10884 called automatically when you select the articles.
10886 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10887 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10888 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10889 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10891 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10892 for sensible values.
10896 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10899 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10902 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10905 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10908 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10912 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10913 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10914 regexps in the list.
10917 A list where the first element is not a string:
10919 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10920 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10921 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10925 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10929 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10934 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10935 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
10936 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10937 considered to contain just a single part.
10939 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10940 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10941 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10942 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10943 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10944 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10945 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10947 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10948 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10949 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10950 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10953 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10954 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10956 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10958 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10959 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10960 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10961 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10962 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10963 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10964 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10965 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10966 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10967 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10968 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
10970 @xref{Article Washing}.
10972 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10973 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10974 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10975 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10976 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10977 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10978 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10980 @xref{Article Date}.
10982 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10983 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10984 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10988 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10990 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10992 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10993 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10994 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10998 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11002 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11006 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11007 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11008 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11009 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11010 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11011 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11012 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11013 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11014 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11015 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11017 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11019 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11020 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11021 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11023 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11025 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11026 @item gnus-treat-translate
11027 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11029 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11030 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11031 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11032 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11034 @xref{Article Header}.
11039 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11040 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11041 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11042 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11043 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11047 @node Article Keymap
11048 @section Article Keymap
11050 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11051 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11052 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11053 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11056 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11061 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11062 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11063 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11064 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11067 @kindex DEL (Article)
11068 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11069 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11070 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11073 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11074 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11075 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11076 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11077 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11080 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11081 @findex gnus-article-mail
11082 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11083 given a prefix, include the mail.
11086 @kindex s (Article)
11087 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11088 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11089 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11092 @kindex ? (Article)
11093 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11094 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11095 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11098 @kindex TAB (Article)
11099 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11100 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11101 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11104 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11105 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11106 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11109 @kindex R (Article)
11110 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11111 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11112 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11113 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11117 @kindex F (Article)
11118 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11119 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11120 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11121 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11129 @section Misc Article
11133 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11134 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11135 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11136 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11139 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11140 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11141 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11142 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11143 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11145 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11146 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11147 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11148 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11149 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11150 the contents of the article buffer.
11152 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11153 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11154 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11156 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11157 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11158 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11159 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11161 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11162 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11163 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11164 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11166 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11167 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11168 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11169 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11170 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11176 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11177 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11178 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11183 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11186 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11189 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11190 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11191 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11194 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11197 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11200 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11205 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11209 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11211 @item gnus-break-pages
11212 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11213 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11214 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11215 paging will not be done.
11217 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11218 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11219 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11223 @cindex internationalized domain names
11224 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11225 @item gnus-use-idna
11226 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11227 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11228 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11229 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11230 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11235 @node Composing Messages
11236 @chapter Composing Messages
11237 @cindex composing messages
11240 @cindex sending mail
11245 @cindex using s/mime
11246 @cindex using smime
11248 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11249 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11250 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11251 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11252 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11253 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11256 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11257 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11258 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11259 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11260 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11261 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11262 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11263 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11266 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11267 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11273 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11276 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11277 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11278 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11279 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11280 @code{nil} include all headers.
11282 @item gnus-add-to-list
11283 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11284 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11285 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11287 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11288 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11289 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11290 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11291 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11292 confirmation is should be asked for.
11294 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11295 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11297 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11298 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11299 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11300 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11301 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11306 @node Posting Server
11307 @section Posting Server
11309 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11310 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11312 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11314 It can be quite complicated.
11316 @vindex gnus-post-method
11317 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11318 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11319 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11320 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11321 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11322 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11323 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11324 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11325 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11328 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11331 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11332 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11333 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11334 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11336 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11337 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11339 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11340 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11343 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11344 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11346 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11347 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11348 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11349 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11350 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11351 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11352 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11353 package correctly. An example:
11356 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11357 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11358 ;; The following variable needs to be set because of the FLIM version of
11359 ;; smtpmail.el. Which smtpmail.el is used depends on the `load-path'.
11360 (setq smtp-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11363 To the thing similar to this, there is
11364 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your ISP requires
11365 the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. See the
11366 documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11368 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11369 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11370 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11372 @node Mail and Post
11373 @section Mail and Post
11375 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11379 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11380 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11381 @cindex mailing lists
11383 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11384 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11385 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11386 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11387 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11388 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11389 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11390 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11391 still a pain, though.
11393 @item gnus-user-agent
11394 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11397 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11398 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11399 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11400 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11401 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11402 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11403 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11407 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11408 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11409 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11412 @findex ispell-message
11414 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11417 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11418 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11421 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11425 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11426 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11428 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11431 Modify to suit your needs.
11434 @node Archived Messages
11435 @section Archived Messages
11436 @cindex archived messages
11437 @cindex sent messages
11439 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11440 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11441 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11442 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11445 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11446 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11449 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11450 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
11451 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11454 (nnfolder "archive"
11455 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11456 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11457 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11458 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11461 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11462 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11463 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11464 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11467 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11468 '(nnfolder "archive"
11469 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11470 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11471 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11474 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11476 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11477 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11478 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11480 This variable can be used to do the following:
11484 Messages will be saved in that group.
11486 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11487 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11488 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11489 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11490 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11491 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11492 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11493 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11496 @item a list of strings
11497 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11499 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11500 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11503 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11508 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11510 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11513 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11515 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11518 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11520 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11521 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11522 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11523 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11526 More complex stuff:
11528 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11529 '((if (message-news-p)
11534 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11535 messages in one file per month:
11538 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11539 '((if (message-news-p)
11541 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11544 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11545 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11547 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11548 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11549 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11550 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11551 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11552 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11553 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11554 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11555 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11556 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11558 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11559 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11560 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11561 this will disable archiving.
11564 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11565 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11566 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11567 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11568 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11571 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11572 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11573 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11576 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11577 but the latter is the preferred method.
11579 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11580 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11581 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11583 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11584 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11585 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11586 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11587 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11588 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11589 changed in the future.
11594 @node Posting Styles
11595 @section Posting Styles
11596 @cindex posting styles
11599 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11601 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11602 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11603 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11606 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11607 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11608 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11609 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11610 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11615 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11616 (organization "What me?"))
11618 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11619 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11620 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11623 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11624 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11625 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11626 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11627 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11628 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11629 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11630 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11632 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11633 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11634 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11635 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11636 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11637 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11638 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11639 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11640 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11641 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11642 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11643 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11644 said to @dfn{match}.
11646 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11647 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11648 attribute name can be one of:
11651 @item @code{signature}
11652 @item @code{signature-file}
11653 @item @code{x-face-file}
11654 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11655 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11659 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11660 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11661 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11662 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11663 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11665 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11666 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11667 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11668 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11669 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11670 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11671 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11672 references chars lines xref extra.
11674 @vindex message-reply-headers
11676 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11677 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11678 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11680 @findex message-mail-p
11681 @findex message-news-p
11683 So here's a new example:
11686 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11688 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11690 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11691 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11693 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11694 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11695 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11696 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11697 (signature my-news-signature))
11698 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11699 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11700 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11701 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11702 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11703 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11704 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11705 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11706 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11707 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11709 (From (save-excursion
11710 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11711 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11713 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11716 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11717 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11718 if you fill many roles.
11720 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11721 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11722 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11723 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11724 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11725 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11726 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11727 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11732 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11734 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11736 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11737 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11740 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11743 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11744 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11751 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11752 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11753 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11754 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11755 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11757 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11758 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11759 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11760 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11761 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11765 @vindex nndraft-directory
11766 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11767 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11768 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11769 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11770 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11771 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11773 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11774 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11775 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11776 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11777 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11778 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11779 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11780 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11781 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11783 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11784 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11785 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11786 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11787 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11788 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11789 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11790 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11791 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11792 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11793 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11794 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11795 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11796 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11798 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11799 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11800 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11802 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11803 @kindex D e (Draft)
11804 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11805 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11806 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11808 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11811 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11812 @kindex D s (Draft)
11813 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11814 @kindex D S (Draft)
11815 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11816 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11817 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11818 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11819 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11822 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11823 @kindex D t (Draft)
11824 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11825 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11826 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11829 @node Rejected Articles
11830 @section Rejected Articles
11831 @cindex rejected articles
11833 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11834 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11835 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11836 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11838 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11839 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11840 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11841 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11842 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11844 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11845 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11846 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11848 @node Signing and encrypting
11849 @section Signing and encrypting
11851 @cindex using s/mime
11852 @cindex using smime
11854 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11855 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11856 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11857 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11859 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11860 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11861 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11862 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11863 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11864 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11865 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11866 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11867 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11868 automatically encrypted messages.
11870 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
11871 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
11872 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11877 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11878 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11880 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11883 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11884 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11886 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11889 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11890 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11892 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11895 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11896 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11898 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11901 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11902 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11904 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11907 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11908 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11910 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11913 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11914 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11915 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
11919 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11921 @node Select Methods
11922 @chapter Select Methods
11923 @cindex foreign groups
11924 @cindex select methods
11926 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11927 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11928 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11929 personal mail group.
11931 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11932 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11933 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11934 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11935 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11936 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11938 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11939 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11941 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11944 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
11945 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11946 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11947 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11948 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11950 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11953 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11954 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11955 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11956 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11957 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
11958 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11959 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11960 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11964 @node Server Buffer
11965 @section Server Buffer
11967 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11968 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11969 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11970 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11971 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11972 back end represents a virtual server.
11974 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11975 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11976 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11977 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11979 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11980 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11981 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11982 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11983 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11984 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11985 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11987 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11988 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11991 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11992 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11993 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11994 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11995 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11996 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11997 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12000 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12001 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12004 @node Server Buffer Format
12005 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12006 @cindex server buffer format
12008 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12009 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12010 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12011 variable, with some simple extensions:
12016 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12019 The name of this server.
12022 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12025 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12028 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12029 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12030 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12031 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12041 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12044 @node Server Commands
12045 @subsection Server Commands
12046 @cindex server commands
12052 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12053 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12057 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12058 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12061 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12062 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12063 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12067 @findex gnus-server-exit
12068 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12072 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12073 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12077 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12078 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12082 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12083 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12087 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12088 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12092 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12093 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12094 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12099 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12100 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12101 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12102 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12107 @node Example Methods
12108 @subsection Example Methods
12110 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12113 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12116 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12122 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12123 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12126 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12127 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12129 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12130 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12134 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12137 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12138 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12140 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12141 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12142 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12146 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12149 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12152 Here's the method for a public spool:
12156 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12157 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12163 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12164 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12165 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12166 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12167 should probably look something like this:
12171 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12172 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12173 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12174 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12177 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12178 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12179 configuration to the example above:
12182 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12185 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12187 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12188 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12189 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12193 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12194 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12195 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12196 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12199 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12200 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12201 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12202 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12205 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12206 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12208 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12209 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12211 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12212 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12213 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12215 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12217 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12218 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12219 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12220 will contain the following:
12230 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12231 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12234 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12235 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12236 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12239 @node Server Variables
12240 @subsection Server Variables
12241 @cindex server variables
12242 @cindex server parameters
12244 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12245 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12246 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12247 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12248 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12250 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12251 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12252 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12253 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12254 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12255 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12256 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12257 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12258 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12262 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12263 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12264 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12267 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12269 @node Servers and Methods
12270 @subsection Servers and Methods
12272 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12273 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12274 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12275 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12279 @node Unavailable Servers
12280 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12282 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12283 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12284 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12285 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12286 actually the case or not.
12288 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12289 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12290 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12291 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12292 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12293 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12294 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12295 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12297 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12298 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12300 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12301 with the following commands:
12307 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12308 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12309 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12313 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12314 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12315 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12319 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12320 Mark the current server as unreachable
12321 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12324 @kindex M-o (Server)
12325 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12326 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12327 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12330 @kindex M-c (Server)
12331 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12332 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12333 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12337 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12338 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12339 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12343 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12344 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12350 @section Getting News
12351 @cindex reading news
12352 @cindex news back ends
12354 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12355 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12356 or it can read from a local spool.
12359 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12360 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12368 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12369 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12370 server as the, uhm, address.
12372 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12373 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12374 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12375 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12377 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12378 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12379 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12381 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12386 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12387 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12388 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12390 @cindex authentification
12391 @cindex nntp authentification
12392 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12393 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12394 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12395 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12396 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12397 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12398 present in this hook.
12400 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12401 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12402 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12403 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12404 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12405 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12406 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12407 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12408 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12409 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12410 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12411 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12415 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12418 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12420 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12421 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12422 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12423 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12424 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12425 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12426 @samp{force} is explained below.
12430 Here's an example file:
12433 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12434 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12437 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12438 have to be first, for instance.
12440 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12441 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12442 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12443 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12444 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12445 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12446 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12448 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12449 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12455 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12456 previously mentioned.
12458 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12460 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12461 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12462 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12463 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12464 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12467 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12468 '(("innd" (ding))))
12471 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12473 The default value is
12476 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12477 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12478 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12481 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12482 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12484 @item nntp-maximum-request
12485 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12486 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12487 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12488 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12489 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12490 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12491 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12493 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12494 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12495 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12496 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12497 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12498 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12499 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12500 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12501 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12502 no timeouts are done.
12504 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12505 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12506 @c @cindex PPP connections
12507 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12508 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12509 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12510 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12511 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12512 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12513 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12514 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12515 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12516 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12518 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12519 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12520 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12521 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12522 @c described above.
12524 @item nntp-server-hook
12525 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12526 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12529 @item nntp-buggy-select
12530 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12531 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12533 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12534 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12535 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12536 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12539 @item nntp-xover-commands
12540 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12541 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12543 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12544 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12548 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12549 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12550 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12551 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12552 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12553 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12554 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12555 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12556 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12557 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12558 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12560 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12561 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12562 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12564 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12565 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12566 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12567 server closes connection.
12569 @item nntp-record-commands
12570 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12571 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12572 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12573 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12574 that doesn't seem to work.
12576 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12577 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12578 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12579 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12580 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12581 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12582 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12583 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12585 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12586 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12587 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12588 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12589 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12590 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12591 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12594 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12597 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12598 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12600 @item nntp-read-timeout
12601 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12602 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12603 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12604 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12605 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12608 @item nntp-list-options
12609 @vindex nntp-list-options
12610 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12611 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12612 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12613 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12614 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12618 (setq gnus-select-method
12619 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12620 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12623 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12624 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12625 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12626 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12627 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12628 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12629 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12632 (setq gnus-select-method
12633 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12634 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12637 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12638 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12639 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12640 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12641 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12642 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12643 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12646 (setq gnus-select-method
12647 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12648 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12653 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12654 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12655 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12659 @node Direct Functions
12660 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12661 @cindex direct connection functions
12663 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12664 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12665 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12666 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12669 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12670 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12671 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12674 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12675 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12676 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12677 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12678 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12681 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12682 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12684 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12685 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12686 (nntp-port-number )
12687 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12690 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12691 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12692 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12693 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12694 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12695 then define a server as follows:
12698 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12699 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12701 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12702 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12703 (nntp-port-number 563)
12704 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12707 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12708 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12709 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12710 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12711 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12712 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12713 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12714 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12718 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12719 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12720 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12723 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12724 session, which is not a good idea.
12728 @node Indirect Functions
12729 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12730 @cindex indirect connection functions
12732 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12733 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12734 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12735 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12736 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12737 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12740 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12741 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12742 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12743 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12744 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12746 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12749 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12750 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12751 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12752 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12754 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12755 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12756 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12757 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12758 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12759 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12760 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12761 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12765 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12766 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12767 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12768 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12770 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12773 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12774 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12775 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12778 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12779 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12780 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12781 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12783 @item nntp-via-user-password
12784 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12785 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12787 @item nntp-via-envuser
12788 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12789 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12790 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12791 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12793 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12794 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12795 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12796 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12803 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12808 @item nntp-via-user-name
12809 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12810 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12812 @item nntp-via-address
12813 @vindex nntp-via-address
12814 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12819 @node Common Variables
12820 @subsubsection Common Variables
12822 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12823 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12828 @item nntp-pre-command
12829 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12830 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12831 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12832 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12833 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12836 @vindex nntp-address
12837 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12839 @item nntp-port-number
12840 @vindex nntp-port-number
12841 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12842 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
12843 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12844 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
12845 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
12846 not work with named ports.
12848 @item nntp-end-of-line
12849 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12850 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
12851 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12852 using a non native connection function.
12854 @item nntp-telnet-command
12855 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12856 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
12857 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
12858 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12861 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12862 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12863 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12870 @subsection News Spool
12874 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12875 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12876 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12879 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12880 anything else) as the address.
12882 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12883 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12884 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12885 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12889 @item nnspool-inews-program
12890 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12891 Program used to post an article.
12893 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12894 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12895 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12897 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12898 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12899 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12900 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12902 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12903 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12904 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
12905 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12907 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12908 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12909 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12911 @item nnspool-active-file
12912 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12913 The name of the active file.
12915 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12916 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12917 The name of the group descriptions file.
12919 @item nnspool-history-file
12920 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12921 The name of the news history file.
12923 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12924 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12925 The name of the active date file.
12927 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12928 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12929 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
12932 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12933 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12935 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12936 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
12937 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
12944 @section Getting Mail
12945 @cindex reading mail
12948 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12952 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12953 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12954 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12955 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12956 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12957 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12958 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12959 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12960 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12961 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
12962 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12963 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12964 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12968 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12969 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12971 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12972 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12973 of a culture shock.
12975 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12976 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12978 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12979 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12980 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12981 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12983 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12985 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12986 deleted? How awful!
12988 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12989 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12990 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12991 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
12994 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12995 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12996 they want to treat a message.
12998 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12999 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13000 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13001 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13002 archived somewhere else.
13004 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13005 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13006 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13007 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13008 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13010 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13011 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13012 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13014 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13015 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13018 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13019 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13020 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13021 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13022 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13024 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13025 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13026 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13027 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13028 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13029 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13033 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13034 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13036 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13037 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13038 and things will happen automatically.
13040 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13041 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13044 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13047 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13048 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13049 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13050 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13051 like any other group.
13053 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13056 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13057 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13058 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13062 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13063 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13064 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13067 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13068 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13069 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13072 @node Splitting Mail
13073 @subsection Splitting Mail
13074 @cindex splitting mail
13075 @cindex mail splitting
13076 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13078 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13079 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13080 to be split into groups.
13083 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13084 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13085 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13086 ("mail.other" "")))
13089 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13090 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13091 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13092 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13093 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13094 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13095 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13098 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13101 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13102 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13103 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13104 mail belongs in that group.
13106 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13107 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13108 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13109 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13110 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13111 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13113 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13114 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13115 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13116 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13117 thinks should carry this mail message.
13119 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13120 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13121 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13122 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13124 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13125 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13126 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13127 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13128 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13130 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13133 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13134 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13135 links. If that's the case for you, set
13136 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13137 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13139 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13140 @findex nnmail-split-history
13141 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13142 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13143 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13144 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13147 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13148 Header lines longer than the value of
13149 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13152 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13153 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13154 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13155 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13156 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13157 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13158 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13159 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13161 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13162 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13163 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13164 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13165 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13166 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13167 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13168 other kinds of entries.)
13170 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13171 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13172 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13173 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13174 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13175 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13176 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13177 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13178 month's rent money.
13182 @subsection Mail Sources
13184 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13185 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13186 maildir, for instance.
13189 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13190 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13191 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13195 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13196 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13198 @cindex mail server
13201 @cindex mail source
13203 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13204 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13209 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13212 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13213 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13214 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13217 The following mail source types are available:
13221 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13227 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13228 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13229 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13233 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13236 An example file mail source:
13239 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13242 Or using the default file name:
13248 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13249 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13250 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13251 mail spool while moving the mail.
13253 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13257 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13260 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13264 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13267 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13269 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13272 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13276 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13277 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13278 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13279 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13280 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13281 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13282 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13283 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13284 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13285 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13287 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13288 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13289 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13290 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13296 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13300 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13304 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13305 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13306 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13307 predicate are considered.
13311 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13315 An example directory mail source:
13318 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13323 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13329 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13330 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13333 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13334 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13335 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13336 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13337 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13340 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13344 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13345 the user is prompted.
13348 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13349 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13352 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13355 The valid format specifier characters are:
13359 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13360 included in this string.
13363 The name of the server.
13366 The port number of the server.
13369 The user name to use.
13372 The password to use.
13375 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13376 corresponding keywords.
13379 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13380 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13383 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13384 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13387 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13388 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13389 mail should be moved to.
13391 @item :authentication
13392 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13393 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13397 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
13398 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
13399 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
13400 programs and libraries:
13404 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
13405 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
13406 library @samp{ssl.el}.
13408 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
13409 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13414 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
13415 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
13419 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13420 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13422 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13423 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13429 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13432 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13433 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13436 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13439 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13443 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13444 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13445 contains exactly one mail.
13451 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13452 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13455 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13456 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13458 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13459 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13460 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13463 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13464 from locking problems).
13468 Two example maildir mail sources:
13471 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13472 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13476 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13481 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13482 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13483 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13484 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13485 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13487 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13488 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13494 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13495 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13498 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13499 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13502 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13506 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13510 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13511 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13512 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13513 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13515 @item :authentication
13516 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13517 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13518 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13519 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13522 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13523 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13524 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13530 The valid format specifier characters are:
13534 The name of the server.
13537 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13540 The port number of the server.
13543 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13544 corresponding keywords.
13547 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13548 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13551 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13552 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13553 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13554 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13555 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13556 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13559 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13560 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13561 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13562 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13565 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13566 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13570 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13573 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13575 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13579 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13580 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13581 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13583 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13584 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13586 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13592 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13593 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13596 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13600 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13604 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13605 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13609 An example webmail source:
13612 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13614 :password "secret")
13619 @item Common Keywords
13620 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13626 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13627 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13632 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13637 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13638 useful when you use local mail and news.
13643 @subsubsection Function Interface
13645 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13646 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13647 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13648 consider the following mail-source setting:
13651 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13652 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13655 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13656 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13657 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13658 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13659 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13661 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13664 @node Mail Source Customization
13665 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13667 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13668 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13672 @item mail-source-crash-box
13673 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13674 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13675 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13677 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13678 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13679 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13680 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13681 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13682 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13683 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13684 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13686 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13687 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13688 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13689 files. This variable only applies when
13690 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13692 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13693 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13694 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13696 @item mail-source-directory
13697 @vindex mail-source-directory
13698 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13699 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13700 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13703 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13704 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13705 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13706 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13707 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13708 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13710 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13711 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13712 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13714 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13715 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13716 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13717 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13722 @node Fetching Mail
13723 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13725 @vindex mail-sources
13726 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13727 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13728 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13729 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13731 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13732 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13735 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13736 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13741 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13742 :password "secret")))
13745 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13749 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13750 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13753 :password "secret")))
13757 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13758 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13759 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13760 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13761 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13762 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13766 @node Mail Back End Variables
13767 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13769 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13773 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13774 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13775 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13776 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13778 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13779 @item nnmail-split-hook
13780 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13781 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13782 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13783 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13784 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13785 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13786 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13787 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13788 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13791 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13792 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13793 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13794 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13795 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13796 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13797 starting to handle the new mail) and
13798 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13799 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13800 default file modes the new mail files get:
13803 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13804 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13806 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13807 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13810 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13811 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13812 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13813 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13814 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13815 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13816 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13818 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13819 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13820 @findex delete-file
13821 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13823 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13824 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13825 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13826 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13827 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13829 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13830 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13831 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13832 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13833 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13835 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13836 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13837 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13842 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13843 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13844 @cindex mail splitting
13845 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13847 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13848 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13849 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13850 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13851 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13852 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13854 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13857 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
13858 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
13859 ;; @r{from real errors.}
13860 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13862 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
13863 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
13864 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
13865 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13866 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13867 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
13868 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13869 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13870 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
13871 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
13872 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
13873 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
13874 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13875 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13876 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
13877 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13878 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
13882 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
13883 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
13884 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
13889 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
13890 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
13892 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
13893 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
13894 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
13895 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
13896 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
13897 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
13898 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13900 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
13901 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
13902 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
13903 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
13904 stored in one or more groups.
13906 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
13907 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
13908 process all @var{split}s in the list.
13911 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
13912 this message. Use with extreme caution.
13914 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
13915 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
13916 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
13917 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
13920 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13921 body of the messages:
13924 (defun split-on-body ()
13927 (goto-char (point-min))
13928 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13932 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
13933 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
13934 @code{save-excursion} in the example above. Also note that with the
13935 nnimap backend, message bodies will not be downloaded by default. You
13936 need to set @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to t to do that
13937 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
13939 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
13940 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
13941 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
13942 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
13943 should return a split.
13946 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13950 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13951 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13952 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13953 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13954 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13956 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13957 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
13958 they are expanded as specified by the variable
13959 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
13960 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
13961 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
13962 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
13966 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
13968 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
13969 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
13971 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
13974 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13975 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13976 when all this splitting is performed.
13978 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13979 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13980 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13983 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13986 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13987 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13989 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13990 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13991 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13992 groupings 1 through 9.
13994 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13995 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13996 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13997 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13998 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13999 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14000 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14001 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14002 it once per thread.
14004 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14005 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14006 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14007 using the colon feature, like so:
14009 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14010 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14012 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14013 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14017 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14018 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14019 in the file specified by the variable
14020 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14021 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14022 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14023 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14024 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14025 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14026 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14027 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14028 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14029 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14030 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14031 300 kBytes in size.)
14032 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14033 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14034 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14035 messages goes into the new group.
14037 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14038 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14039 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14040 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14041 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14042 ``outgoing'' group.
14045 @node Group Mail Splitting
14046 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14047 @cindex mail splitting
14048 @cindex group mail splitting
14050 @findex gnus-group-split
14051 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14052 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14053 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14054 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14055 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14056 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14057 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14058 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14060 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14061 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14062 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14063 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14065 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14066 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14067 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14068 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14069 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14070 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14071 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14073 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14074 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14075 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14076 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14077 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14078 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14079 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14081 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14082 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14083 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14084 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14085 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14086 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14087 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14088 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14089 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14090 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14091 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14092 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14093 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14095 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14100 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14101 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14103 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14104 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14105 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14106 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14108 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14111 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14112 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14113 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14116 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14117 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14118 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14122 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14123 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14124 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14128 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14131 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14132 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14133 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14134 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14135 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14136 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14137 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14138 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14139 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14141 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14142 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14143 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14144 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14145 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14146 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14147 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14148 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14149 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14151 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14152 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14153 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14154 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14155 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14156 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14159 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14162 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14163 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14164 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14165 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14166 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14169 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14170 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14171 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14172 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14174 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14175 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14176 @cindex incorporating old mail
14177 @cindex import old mail
14179 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14180 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14181 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14184 Doing so can be quite easy.
14186 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14187 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14188 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14189 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14190 your @code{nnml} groups.
14196 Go to the group buffer.
14199 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14200 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14203 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14206 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14207 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14210 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14211 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14214 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14215 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14216 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14217 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14218 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14220 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14221 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14222 using the new mail back end.
14225 @node Expiring Mail
14226 @subsection Expiring Mail
14227 @cindex article expiry
14229 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14230 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14231 different approach to mail reading.
14233 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14234 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14235 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14236 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14237 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14238 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14241 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14242 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14243 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14244 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14245 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14246 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14247 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14248 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14249 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14251 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14252 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14253 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14254 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14255 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14256 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14257 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14260 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14261 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14262 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14263 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14264 into its own group.)
14266 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14267 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14268 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14269 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14270 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14271 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14272 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14273 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14276 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14277 Groups that match the regular expression
14278 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14279 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14280 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14282 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14283 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14284 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14285 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14286 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14288 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14290 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14291 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14292 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14295 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14296 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14297 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14298 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14299 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14301 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14302 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14305 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14306 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14309 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14310 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14312 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14313 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14314 don't really mix very well.
14316 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14317 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14318 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14319 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14322 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14323 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14324 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14325 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14328 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14330 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14332 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14334 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14336 ((string= group "important")
14342 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14343 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14345 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14346 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14347 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14350 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14351 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14353 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14354 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14355 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14356 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14357 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14358 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14359 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14360 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14361 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14362 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14363 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14364 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14365 name or @code{delete}.
14367 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14369 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14372 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14373 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14374 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14375 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14376 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14379 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14380 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14381 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14382 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14383 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14386 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14387 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14388 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14389 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14390 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14391 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14393 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14394 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14395 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14396 easier for procmail users.
14398 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14399 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14400 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14401 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14402 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14403 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14404 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14405 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14406 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14407 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14408 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14409 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14410 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14413 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14415 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14416 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14417 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14418 auto-expire turned on.
14422 @subsection Washing Mail
14423 @cindex mail washing
14424 @cindex list server brain damage
14425 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14427 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14428 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14429 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14430 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14431 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14432 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14434 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14435 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14436 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14439 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14440 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14441 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14442 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14445 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14446 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14447 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14448 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14449 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14452 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14453 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14454 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14455 Emacs running on MS machines.
14459 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14460 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14461 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14462 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14465 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14466 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14467 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14468 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14470 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14471 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14472 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14473 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14474 into a feature by documenting it.)
14476 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14477 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14478 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14479 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14480 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14481 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14482 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14485 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14486 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14489 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14490 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14493 This can also be done non-destructively with
14494 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14496 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14497 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14498 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14500 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14501 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14503 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14504 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14505 @code{References} headers.
14509 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14510 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14511 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14515 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14516 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14517 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14524 @subsection Duplicates
14526 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14527 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14528 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14529 @cindex duplicate mails
14530 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14531 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14532 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14533 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14534 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14535 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14536 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14537 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14538 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14539 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14540 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14541 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14542 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14544 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14545 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14546 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14547 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14549 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14552 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14553 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14557 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14558 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14559 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14560 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14561 (any mail "mail.misc")
14562 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14568 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14569 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14570 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14574 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14575 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14576 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14577 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14578 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14581 @node Not Reading Mail
14582 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14584 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14585 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14586 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14588 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14589 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14590 mail, which should help.
14592 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14593 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14594 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14595 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14596 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14597 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14598 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14599 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14600 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14601 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14602 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14604 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14605 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14609 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14610 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14612 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14613 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14614 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14616 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14617 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14618 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14622 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14623 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14624 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14625 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14626 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14627 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14628 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14632 @node Unix Mail Box
14633 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14635 @cindex unix mail box
14637 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14638 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14639 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14640 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14641 which group it belongs in.
14643 Virtual server settings:
14646 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14647 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14648 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14651 @item nnmbox-active-file
14652 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14653 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14654 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14656 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14657 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14658 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14659 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14664 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14668 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14669 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14670 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14671 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14672 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14674 Virtual server settings:
14677 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14678 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14679 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14681 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14682 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14683 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14684 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14686 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14687 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14688 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14694 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14696 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14698 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14699 format. It should be used with some caution.
14701 @vindex nnml-directory
14702 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14703 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14704 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14705 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14707 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14710 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14711 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14712 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14713 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14714 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14715 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14716 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14717 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14719 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14720 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14721 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14722 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14724 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14726 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14727 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14728 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14729 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14730 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14731 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14732 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14733 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14736 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14737 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14738 them next time it starts.
14740 Virtual server settings:
14743 @item nnml-directory
14744 @vindex nnml-directory
14745 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14746 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14749 @item nnml-active-file
14750 @vindex nnml-active-file
14751 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14752 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14754 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14755 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14756 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14757 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14759 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14760 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14761 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14764 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14765 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14766 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14767 default is @code{nil}.
14769 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14770 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14771 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14773 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14774 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14775 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14777 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14778 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14779 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14780 default is @code{nil}.
14782 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14783 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14784 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14786 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14787 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14788 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14793 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14794 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of whack,
14795 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14796 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14797 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14798 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14799 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14804 @subsubsection MH Spool
14806 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14808 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14809 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14810 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14811 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14813 Virtual server settings:
14816 @item nnmh-directory
14817 @vindex nnmh-directory
14818 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14819 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14822 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14823 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14824 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14828 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14829 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14830 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14831 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14832 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14833 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14834 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14839 @subsubsection Maildir
14843 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14844 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14845 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14846 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14847 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14850 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14851 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
14852 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14853 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14854 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14855 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14858 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14859 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14860 data in the filesystem.
14862 nnmaildir stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each maildir. So you
14863 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14866 Virtual server settings:
14870 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14871 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14872 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14873 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14874 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14875 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14876 starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14877 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14878 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14881 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14882 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14883 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14884 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14885 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14886 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14887 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14888 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14889 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14890 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14892 @item target-prefix
14893 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14894 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14895 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14898 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14899 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14900 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14901 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14902 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14903 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14904 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14905 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14906 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14908 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14909 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14910 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14911 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14912 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14914 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14915 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14916 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14917 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14918 @code{force} argument.
14920 @item directory-files
14921 This should be a function with the same interface as
14922 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14923 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14924 parameter is optional; the default is
14925 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14926 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14927 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14928 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14929 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14930 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14933 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14934 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14935 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14936 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14937 value is @code{nil}.
14939 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14940 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14941 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14942 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14943 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14946 @subsubsection Group parameters
14948 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14949 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14950 behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after one week,
14951 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14952 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14953 duplicate the behavior you already have with another back end.
14955 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14956 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14957 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14958 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14959 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14960 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14961 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14962 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14963 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14967 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14968 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14969 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14970 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14971 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
14972 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14973 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14974 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14975 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14976 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14977 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14978 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14981 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
14983 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
14985 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
14986 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
14987 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14988 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14989 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
14990 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
14991 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
14992 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14993 article. So that form can refer to
14994 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14995 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
14996 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
14997 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15000 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
15001 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
15002 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
15003 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
15004 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
15005 directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
15006 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
15007 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
15008 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
15009 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
15010 extra copies of the articles.
15012 @item directory-files
15013 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15014 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15015 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15016 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15018 @item distrust-Lines:
15019 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
15020 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15021 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15024 A list of mark symbols, such as
15025 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
15026 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
15027 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
15028 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
15029 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15030 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15033 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15034 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
15035 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
15036 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15037 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15038 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15039 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15041 @item nov-cache-size
15042 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To speed
15043 things up, nnmaildir keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory for a limited number of
15044 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
15045 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
15046 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened---i.e.,
15047 when you first start Gnus, typically. The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized
15048 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
15049 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
15050 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
15051 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15054 @subsubsection Article identification
15055 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15056 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15057 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
15058 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15059 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15060 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15061 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15062 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15063 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15064 request the article in the summary buffer.
15066 @subsubsection NOV data
15067 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used to
15068 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15069 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15070 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15071 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically when the
15072 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
15073 nnmaildir to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a single article simply by
15074 deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV} file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
15075 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
15076 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15078 @subsubsection Article marks
15079 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15080 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15081 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
15082 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
15083 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
15084 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
15085 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
15086 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15088 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15089 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15090 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15091 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15092 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
15093 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
15094 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
15095 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
15096 changes, and might undo them.
15100 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15102 @cindex mbox folders
15103 @cindex mail folders
15105 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
15106 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
15107 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
15110 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15112 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15113 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15114 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15115 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15116 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15117 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15118 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
15119 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
15120 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
15121 @code{nnfolder} directory).
15123 Virtual server settings:
15126 @item nnfolder-directory
15127 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15128 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
15129 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15132 @item nnfolder-active-file
15133 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15134 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15136 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15137 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15138 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15139 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15141 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15142 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15143 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
15146 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15147 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15148 @cindex backup files
15149 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15150 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
15151 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
15152 your @file{.emacs} file:
15155 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15156 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15158 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15161 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15162 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15163 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15164 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15165 extract some information from it before removing it.
15167 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15168 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15169 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15170 default is @code{nil}.
15172 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15173 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15174 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15176 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15177 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15178 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15179 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15181 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15182 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15183 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15184 default is @code{nil}.
15186 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15187 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15188 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15190 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15191 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15192 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15193 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15198 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15199 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15200 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15201 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15202 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15203 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15206 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15207 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15209 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15210 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15211 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15212 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15213 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15215 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15216 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15217 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15218 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15219 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15220 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15221 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15222 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15225 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15226 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15227 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15228 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15233 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15234 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15235 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15236 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15237 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15238 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15239 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15240 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15241 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15242 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15243 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15244 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15245 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15250 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15251 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15252 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15253 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15254 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15255 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15256 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15257 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15258 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15259 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15260 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15261 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15262 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15263 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15265 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15266 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15271 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15272 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15273 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15274 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15275 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15276 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15277 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15278 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15279 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15280 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15281 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15282 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15283 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15284 provided by the active file and overviews.
15286 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15287 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15288 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15289 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15290 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15293 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15294 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15299 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15300 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15301 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15302 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15303 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15304 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15305 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15309 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15310 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15311 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15312 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15313 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15314 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15315 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15316 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15317 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15319 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15320 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15321 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15322 friendly mail back end all over.
15326 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15327 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15330 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15331 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15332 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15333 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15334 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15335 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15336 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15337 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15340 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15341 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15342 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15343 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15344 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15345 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15346 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15347 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15348 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15349 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15350 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15352 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15353 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15354 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15355 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15356 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15359 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15360 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15361 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15362 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15363 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15364 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15365 removed in the future.
15367 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15368 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15369 on your file system.
15371 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15372 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15377 @node Browsing the Web
15378 @section Browsing the Web
15380 @cindex browsing the web
15384 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15385 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15386 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15387 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15388 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15389 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15390 even know what a news group is.
15392 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15393 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15394 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15395 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15396 you mad in the end.
15398 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15401 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15402 interfaces to these sources.
15406 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15407 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15408 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15409 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15410 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15411 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15414 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15416 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15417 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15418 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15419 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15420 though, you should be ok.
15422 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15423 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15424 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15425 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15426 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15428 @node Archiving Mail
15429 @subsection Archiving Mail
15430 @cindex archiving mail
15431 @cindex backup of mail
15433 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15434 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15435 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15436 marks is fairly simple.
15438 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15439 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15442 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15443 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15444 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15445 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15446 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15447 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15448 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15449 before you restore the data.
15451 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15452 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15453 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15454 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15455 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15456 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15457 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15458 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15459 is unnecessary in that case.
15462 @subsection Web Searches
15467 @cindex Usenet searches
15468 @cindex searching the Usenet
15470 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15471 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15472 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15473 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15474 searches without having to use a browser.
15476 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15477 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15478 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15479 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15480 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15482 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15483 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15484 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15485 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15486 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15487 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15488 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15489 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15490 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15491 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15494 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15495 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15496 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15497 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15498 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15499 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15501 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15502 to use @code{nnweb}.
15504 Virtual server variables:
15509 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15510 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15511 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15514 @vindex nnweb-search
15515 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15517 @item nnweb-max-hits
15518 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15519 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15522 @item nnweb-type-definition
15523 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15524 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15525 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15530 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15534 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15537 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15540 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15544 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15551 @subsection Slashdot
15555 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15556 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15557 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15559 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15560 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15563 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15564 '((nnslashdot "")))
15567 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15568 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15569 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15570 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15571 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15574 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15575 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15577 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15578 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15579 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15580 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15581 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15582 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15583 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15585 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15588 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15589 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15590 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15591 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15592 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15593 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15594 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15596 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15597 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15598 The login name to use when posting.
15600 @item nnslashdot-password
15601 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15602 The password to use when posting.
15604 @item nnslashdot-directory
15605 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15606 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15607 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15609 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15610 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15611 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15612 news articles and comments. The default is@*
15613 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15615 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15616 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15617 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15619 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15621 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15622 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15623 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15625 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15627 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15628 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15629 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15631 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15632 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15633 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15634 updated. The default is 0.
15641 @subsection Ultimate
15643 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15645 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15646 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15647 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15648 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15650 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15651 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15652 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15653 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15654 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15655 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15656 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15658 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15661 @item nnultimate-directory
15662 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15663 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15664 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15669 @subsection Web Archive
15671 @cindex Web Archive
15673 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15674 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15675 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15676 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15679 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15680 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15681 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15682 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15683 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15684 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15685 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15686 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15688 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15691 @item nnwarchive-directory
15692 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15693 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15694 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15696 @item nnwarchive-login
15697 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15698 The account name on the web server.
15700 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15701 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15702 The password for your account on the web server.
15710 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15711 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15712 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15715 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15716 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15719 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15722 @item nnrss-directory
15723 @vindex nnrss-directory
15724 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15725 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15729 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15730 the summary buffer.
15733 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15734 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15736 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15738 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15739 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15742 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15745 (require 'browse-url)
15747 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15749 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15752 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15753 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15756 (browse-url (cdr url))
15757 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15758 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15760 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15761 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15762 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15763 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15766 @node Customizing w3
15767 @subsection Customizing w3
15773 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15774 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15775 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15777 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15778 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15779 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15782 (eval-after-load "w3"
15784 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15785 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15786 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15787 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15789 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15792 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15793 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15800 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
15802 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15803 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
15804 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15805 specify the network address of the server.
15807 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
15808 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
15809 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
15810 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
15811 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
15812 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15814 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
15815 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
15816 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
15817 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
15819 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15820 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15821 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
15822 usage explained in this section.
15824 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
15825 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
15826 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
15830 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15831 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
15832 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
15834 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15835 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15836 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
15838 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15839 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15840 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15841 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
15842 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15843 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15844 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15845 (nnimap-stream network))
15846 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
15848 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15849 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15850 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15853 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15854 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15855 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15856 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15858 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15863 @item nnimap-address
15864 @vindex nnimap-address
15866 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
15867 server name if not specified.
15869 @item nnimap-server-port
15870 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15871 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
15873 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15876 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15877 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15880 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15881 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15882 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15883 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15884 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
15885 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15886 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15888 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15889 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15890 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15893 Example server specification:
15896 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15897 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15898 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15901 @item nnimap-stream
15902 @vindex nnimap-stream
15903 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15904 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15905 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
15906 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
15907 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15909 Example server specification:
15912 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15913 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15916 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15920 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15921 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15923 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15925 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15926 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15929 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15930 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15932 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15933 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15935 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
15937 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15940 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15941 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15942 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15943 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15944 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15945 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15946 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15947 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15948 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15951 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15952 needed. It is available from
15953 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15955 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
15956 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
15957 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
15958 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
15959 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
15960 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
15961 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
15964 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15965 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15966 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15967 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
15968 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15969 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15970 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15973 @vindex imap-shell-program
15974 @vindex imap-shell-host
15975 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15976 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15978 @item nnimap-authenticator
15979 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15981 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15982 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15984 Example server specification:
15987 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15988 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15991 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15995 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15996 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
15998 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16001 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16002 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16004 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16006 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16008 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16011 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16013 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16014 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16015 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16016 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16017 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16018 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16021 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16022 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16023 running in circles yet?
16025 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16026 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16029 The possible options are:
16034 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16037 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16038 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16039 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16040 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16042 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16047 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16048 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16050 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16051 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16052 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16053 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16054 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16057 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16058 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16061 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16062 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16063 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16064 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16067 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16068 as ticked for other users.
16070 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16072 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16074 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16075 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16076 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16077 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16079 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16080 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16081 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16082 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16084 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16085 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16087 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16088 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16089 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16092 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16093 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16095 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16096 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16102 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16103 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16104 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16105 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16106 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16111 @node Splitting in IMAP
16112 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16113 @cindex splitting imap mail
16115 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16116 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16117 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16118 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16119 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16123 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16124 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16125 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16127 Here are the variables of interest:
16131 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16132 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16134 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16136 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16137 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16138 found will be used.
16140 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16142 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16143 @cindex splitting, inbox
16145 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16147 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16148 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16149 splitting is disabled!
16152 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16153 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16156 No nnmail equivalent.
16158 @item nnimap-split-rule
16159 @cindex splitting, rules
16160 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16162 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16165 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16166 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16167 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16168 Neither did I, we need examples.
16171 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16173 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16174 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16175 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16178 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16179 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16180 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16182 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16183 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16187 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16190 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16191 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16193 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16194 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16195 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16196 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16198 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16199 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16200 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16201 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16202 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16203 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16205 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16206 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16207 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16209 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16210 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16211 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16213 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16215 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16216 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16217 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16220 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16221 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16222 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16223 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16224 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16225 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16228 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16229 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16230 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16231 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16232 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16233 group/function elements.
16235 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16237 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16239 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16241 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16242 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16244 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16245 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16246 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16249 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16250 @cindex splitting, fancy
16251 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16252 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16254 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16255 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16256 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16258 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16259 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16260 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16261 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16266 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16267 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16270 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16272 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16273 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16274 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16276 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16277 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16278 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16279 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16283 @node Expiring in IMAP
16284 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16285 @cindex expiring imap mail
16287 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16288 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16289 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16290 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16291 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16292 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16295 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16296 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16297 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16298 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16299 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16300 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16301 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16302 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16306 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16307 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16309 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16310 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16312 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16314 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16315 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16316 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16317 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16321 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16322 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16323 @cindex editing imap acls
16324 @cindex Access Control Lists
16325 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16327 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16329 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16330 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16331 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16334 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16335 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16336 editing window with detailed instructions.
16338 Some possible uses:
16342 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16343 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16344 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16346 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16347 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16348 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16352 @node Expunging mailboxes
16353 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16357 @cindex manual expunging
16359 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16361 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16362 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16363 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16365 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16368 @node A note on namespaces
16369 @subsection A note on namespaces
16370 @cindex IMAP namespace
16373 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16374 by the following text in the RFC:
16377 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16379 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16380 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16381 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16382 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16384 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16385 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16386 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16387 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16388 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16389 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16392 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16393 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16394 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16396 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16397 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16398 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16399 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16400 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16401 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16402 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16403 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16406 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16407 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16408 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16410 @node Other Sources
16411 @section Other Sources
16413 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16414 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16418 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16419 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16420 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16421 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16422 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16426 @node Directory Groups
16427 @subsection Directory Groups
16429 @cindex directory groups
16431 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16432 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16435 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16436 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16437 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16438 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16440 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16441 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16442 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16443 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16444 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16446 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16448 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16449 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16450 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16451 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16454 @node Anything Groups
16455 @subsection Anything Groups
16458 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16459 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16460 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16463 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16464 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16465 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16466 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16467 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16468 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16469 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16470 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16471 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16472 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16475 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16476 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16477 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16478 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16480 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16481 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16482 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16483 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16485 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16486 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16487 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16488 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16489 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16490 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16491 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16492 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16497 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16498 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16499 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16500 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16502 @item nneething-exclude-files
16503 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16504 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16505 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16507 @item nneething-include-files
16508 @vindex nneething-include-files
16509 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16510 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16512 @item nneething-map-file
16513 @vindex nneething-map-file
16514 Name of the map files.
16518 @node Document Groups
16519 @subsection Document Groups
16521 @cindex documentation group
16524 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16525 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16532 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16537 The standard Unix mbox file.
16539 @cindex MMDF mail box
16541 The MMDF mail box format.
16544 Several news articles appended into a file.
16547 @cindex rnews batch files
16548 The rnews batch transport format.
16549 @cindex forwarded messages
16552 Forwarded articles.
16555 Netscape mail boxes.
16558 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16560 @item standard-digest
16561 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16564 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16566 @item lanl-gov-announce
16567 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16569 @item rfc822-forward
16570 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16573 The Outlook mail box.
16576 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16579 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16582 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16585 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16591 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16594 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16600 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16601 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16602 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16605 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16606 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16607 group. And that's it.
16609 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16610 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16611 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16612 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16613 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16614 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16615 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16616 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16617 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16618 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16620 Virtual server variables:
16623 @item nndoc-article-type
16624 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16625 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16626 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16627 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16628 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16629 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16631 @item nndoc-post-type
16632 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16633 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16634 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16639 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16643 @node Document Server Internals
16644 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16646 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16647 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16648 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16649 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16651 First, here's an example document type definition:
16655 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16656 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16659 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16660 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16661 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16662 types can be defined with very few settings:
16665 @item first-article
16666 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16667 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16670 @item article-begin
16671 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16672 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16674 @item head-begin-function
16675 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16678 @item nndoc-head-begin
16679 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16682 @item nndoc-head-end
16683 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16684 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16686 @item body-begin-function
16687 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16691 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16694 @item body-end-function
16695 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16699 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16702 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16703 regexp will be totally ignored.
16707 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16708 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16709 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16710 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16711 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16714 @item prepare-body-function
16715 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16716 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16717 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16719 @item article-transform-function
16720 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16721 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16722 body of the article.
16724 @item generate-head-function
16725 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16726 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16727 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16728 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16732 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16737 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16738 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16739 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16740 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16741 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16742 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16743 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16744 (subtype digest guess))
16747 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16748 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16749 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16750 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16751 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16753 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16754 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16755 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16756 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16757 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
16758 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
16759 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
16760 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16761 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
16762 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16763 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
16764 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16772 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16773 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16774 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16776 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16777 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16778 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16781 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16782 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16783 that interested in doing things properly.
16785 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16786 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16789 First some terminology:
16794 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16795 get news and/or mail from.
16798 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16799 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16802 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16806 @item message packets
16807 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16808 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16809 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16811 @item response packets
16812 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16813 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16814 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16824 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16825 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16826 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16827 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16830 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16833 You put the packet in your home directory.
16836 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16837 the native or secondary server.
16840 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16841 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16844 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16848 You transfer this packet to the server.
16851 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16854 You then repeat until you die.
16858 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16859 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16862 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16863 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16864 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16868 @node SOUP Commands
16869 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16871 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16875 @kindex G s b (Group)
16876 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16877 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16878 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16879 process/prefix convention.
16882 @kindex G s w (Group)
16883 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16884 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16887 @kindex G s s (Group)
16888 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16889 Send all replies from the replies packet
16890 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16893 @kindex G s p (Group)
16894 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16895 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16898 @kindex G s r (Group)
16899 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16900 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16903 @kindex O s (Summary)
16904 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16905 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16906 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16907 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16912 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16917 @item gnus-soup-directory
16918 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16919 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16920 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16922 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16923 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16924 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16925 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16927 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16928 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16929 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16930 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16932 @item gnus-soup-packer
16933 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16934 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16935 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16937 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16938 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16939 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16940 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16942 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16943 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16944 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16946 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16947 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16948 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16949 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16955 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16958 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16959 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16960 you can read them at leisure.
16962 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16966 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16967 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16968 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16969 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16971 @item nnsoup-directory
16972 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16973 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16974 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16976 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16977 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16978 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16979 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16981 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16982 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16983 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16984 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16985 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16987 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16988 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16989 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16990 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16992 @item nnsoup-active-file
16993 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16994 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16995 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16996 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16997 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16999 @item nnsoup-packer
17000 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17001 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17002 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17004 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17005 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17006 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17007 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17009 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17010 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17011 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17014 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17015 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17016 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17019 @item nnsoup-always-save
17020 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17021 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17027 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17029 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17030 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17031 more for that to happen.
17033 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17034 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17035 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17038 In specific, this is what it does:
17041 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17042 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17045 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17046 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17047 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17050 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17051 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17052 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17055 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17056 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17057 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17059 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17065 @item nngateway-address
17066 @vindex nngateway-address
17067 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17069 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17070 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17071 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17072 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17073 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17074 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17075 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17078 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17079 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17080 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17083 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17086 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17089 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17092 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17094 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17097 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17098 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17099 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17101 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17103 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17104 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17105 @code{nngateway-address}.
17113 (setq gnus-post-method
17115 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17116 (nngateway-header-transformation
17117 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17120 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17123 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17128 @node Combined Groups
17129 @section Combined Groups
17131 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17135 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17136 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17140 @node Virtual Groups
17141 @subsection Virtual Groups
17143 @cindex virtual groups
17144 @cindex merging groups
17146 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17149 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17150 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17151 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17153 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17154 regexp to match component groups.
17156 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17157 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17158 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17159 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17160 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17161 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17162 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17163 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17165 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17166 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17169 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17172 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17173 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17175 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17176 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17177 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17178 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17181 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17184 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17185 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17186 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17188 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17189 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17190 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17191 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17192 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17194 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17195 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17196 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17198 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17199 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17200 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17201 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17202 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17203 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17204 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17205 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17206 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17207 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17208 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17210 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17211 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17212 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17213 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17214 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17215 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17216 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17218 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17219 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17221 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17222 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17226 @node Kibozed Groups
17227 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17231 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17232 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17233 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17234 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17236 @kindex G k (Group)
17237 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17240 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17241 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17242 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17243 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17245 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17246 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17247 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17249 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17250 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17251 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17252 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17253 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17254 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17255 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17256 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17258 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17259 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17260 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17261 Stranger things have happened.
17263 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17264 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17266 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17267 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17268 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17269 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17270 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17271 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17272 component articles.
17274 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17275 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17278 @node Gnus Unplugged
17279 @section Gnus Unplugged
17284 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17286 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17287 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17288 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17289 read news. Believe it or not.
17291 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17292 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17293 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17294 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17295 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17297 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17298 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17299 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17300 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17301 reading news on a machine.
17303 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17304 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17306 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17309 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17310 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17311 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17312 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17313 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17314 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17315 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17316 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17317 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17318 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17319 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17320 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17321 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17326 @subsection Agent Basics
17328 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17330 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17331 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17332 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17333 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17335 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17336 connected to the net continuously.
17338 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17339 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17341 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17342 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17343 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17344 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17345 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17347 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17348 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17349 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17350 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17351 they're kinda like plugged always).
17353 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17354 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17355 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17358 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17359 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17360 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17361 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17362 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17364 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17369 @findex gnus-unplugged
17370 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17371 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17372 already fetched while in this mode.
17375 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17376 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17377 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17378 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17379 Source Specifiers}).
17382 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17383 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17384 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17385 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17386 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17389 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17390 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17391 then you read the news offline.
17394 And then you go to step 2.
17397 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17403 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17404 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17405 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17406 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17407 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17408 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17409 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17410 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17413 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17414 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17415 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17416 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17418 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17419 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17420 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17421 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17422 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17423 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17427 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17431 @node Agent Categories
17432 @subsection Agent Categories
17434 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17435 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17436 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17437 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17438 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17439 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17440 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17442 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17443 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17444 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17445 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17446 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17448 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17449 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17450 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17451 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17452 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17455 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17456 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17457 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17458 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17459 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17460 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17464 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17465 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17466 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17470 @node Category Syntax
17471 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17473 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17474 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17475 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17479 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17480 The name of the category.
17482 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17483 The list of groups that are in this category.
17485 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17486 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17487 are eligible for downloading; and
17489 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17490 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17491 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17492 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17494 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17495 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17496 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17497 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17498 only groups that should not be expired.
17500 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17501 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17502 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17504 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17505 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17507 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17508 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17510 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17511 an integer that overrides the value of
17512 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17514 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17515 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17518 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17521 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17522 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17523 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17526 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17527 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17528 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17529 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17531 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17532 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17533 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17535 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17536 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17537 operators sprinkled in between.
17539 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17541 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17542 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17548 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17549 short (for some value of ``short'').
17551 Here's a more complex predicate:
17560 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17561 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17564 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17565 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17566 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17568 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17569 you want to do, you can write your own.
17571 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17572 bound to the value determined by calling
17573 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17574 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17575 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17576 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17577 predicate to individual groups.
17581 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17582 lines; default 100.
17585 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17586 lines; default 200.
17589 True iff the article has a download score less than
17590 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17593 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17594 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17597 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17598 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17599 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17608 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17609 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17610 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17613 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17614 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17615 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17616 something along the lines of the following:
17619 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17620 "Say whether an article is old."
17621 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17622 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17625 with the predicate then defined as:
17628 (not my-article-old-p)
17631 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17632 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17636 (require 'gnus-agent)
17637 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17638 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17639 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17642 and simply specify your predicate as:
17648 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17649 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17650 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17651 just don't give a damn.
17653 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17654 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17655 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17656 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17657 parameters like so:
17660 (agent-predicate . short)
17663 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17664 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17665 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17667 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17670 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17673 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17674 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17675 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17678 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17679 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17680 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17681 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17682 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17683 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17685 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17686 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17687 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17688 if it's to be specific to that group.
17690 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17697 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
17698 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17704 Category specification
17708 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17714 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17717 (agent-score ("from"
17718 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17723 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17729 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17730 keywords stated above.
17736 Category specification
17739 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17745 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17749 Group Parameter specification
17752 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17755 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17760 Use @code{normal} score files
17762 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17763 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17764 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17765 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17767 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17768 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17769 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17770 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17774 Category Specification
17781 Group Parameter specification
17784 (agent-score . file)
17789 @node Category Buffer
17790 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17792 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17793 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17794 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17796 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17800 @kindex q (Category)
17801 @findex gnus-category-exit
17802 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17805 @kindex e (Category)
17806 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17807 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17808 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17811 @kindex k (Category)
17812 @findex gnus-category-kill
17813 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17816 @kindex c (Category)
17817 @findex gnus-category-copy
17818 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17821 @kindex a (Category)
17822 @findex gnus-category-add
17823 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17826 @kindex p (Category)
17827 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17828 Edit the predicate of the current category
17829 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17832 @kindex g (Category)
17833 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17834 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17835 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17838 @kindex s (Category)
17839 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17840 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17841 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17844 @kindex l (Category)
17845 @findex gnus-category-list
17846 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17850 @node Category Variables
17851 @subsubsection Category Variables
17854 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17855 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17856 Hook run in category buffers.
17858 @item gnus-category-line-format
17859 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17860 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17861 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17865 The name of the category.
17868 The number of groups in the category.
17871 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17872 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17873 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17875 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17876 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17877 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17879 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17880 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17881 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17883 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17884 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17885 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17888 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17889 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17890 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17893 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17894 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17895 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17896 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17897 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17898 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17899 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17900 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17904 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17905 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17906 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17907 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17908 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17909 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17910 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17915 @node Agent Commands
17916 @subsection Agent Commands
17917 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17918 @kindex J j (Agent)
17920 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17921 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17922 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17926 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17927 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17928 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17934 @node Group Agent Commands
17935 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17939 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17940 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17941 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17942 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17945 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17946 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17947 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17950 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17951 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17952 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17953 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17956 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17957 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17958 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17959 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17962 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17963 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17964 Add the current group to an Agent category
17965 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17966 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17969 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17970 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17971 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17972 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17973 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17976 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17977 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17978 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17984 @node Summary Agent Commands
17985 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17989 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17990 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17991 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17994 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17995 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17996 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17997 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18001 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18002 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18003 Toggle whether to download the article
18004 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18008 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18009 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18010 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18013 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18014 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18015 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18016 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18019 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18020 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18021 Download all processable articles in this group.
18022 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18025 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18026 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18027 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18028 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18033 @node Server Agent Commands
18034 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18038 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18039 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18040 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18041 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18044 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18045 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18046 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18047 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18052 @node Agent Visuals
18053 @subsection Agent Visuals
18055 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18056 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18057 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18058 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18059 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18060 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18061 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18062 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18063 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18064 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18066 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18067 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18068 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18069 way, "If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18070 less than satisfying unplugged session". For this reason, the Agent
18071 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18072 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18073 articles will be available when unplugged.
18075 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18076 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18077 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18078 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18079 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18080 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18081 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18082 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18084 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18085 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18086 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18087 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18088 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18089 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18090 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18091 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18092 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18094 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18095 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18096 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18097 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18098 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear.
18100 For occasional Agent users, the undownloaded faces may appear to be an
18101 absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since most of their
18102 articles have not been fetched into the Agent, most of the normal
18103 faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces. If this is your
18104 situation, you have two choices available. First, you can completely
18105 disable the undownload faces by customizing
18106 @code{gnus-summary-highlight} to delete the three cons-cells that
18107 refer to the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face} faces. Second, if
18108 you prefer to take a more fine-grained approach, you may set the
18109 @code{agent-disable-undownloaded-faces} group parameter to t. This
18110 parameter, like all other agent parameters, may be set on an Agent
18111 Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic
18112 Parameters}), or an individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18114 @node Agent as Cache
18115 @subsection Agent as Cache
18117 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18118 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18119 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18120 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18121 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18122 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18123 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18124 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18125 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18127 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18128 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18129 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18130 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18131 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18134 @subsection Agent Expiry
18136 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18137 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18138 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18139 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18140 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18141 @cindex agent expiry
18142 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18145 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18146 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18147 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18148 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18149 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18150 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18151 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18152 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18154 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18155 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18156 synchronized with the group.
18158 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18159 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18161 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18162 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18163 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18164 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18165 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18166 be kept indefinitely.
18168 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18169 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18170 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18171 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18173 @node Agent Regeneration
18174 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18176 @cindex agent regeneration
18177 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18178 @cindex regeneration
18180 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18181 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18182 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18183 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18184 internal inconsistencies.
18186 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18187 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18188 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18189 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18190 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18191 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18193 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18194 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18195 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18196 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18197 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18198 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18200 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18201 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18202 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18203 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18204 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18205 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18208 @node Agent and IMAP
18209 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18211 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18212 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18213 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18214 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18216 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18217 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18218 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18219 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18221 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18222 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18223 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18224 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18226 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18227 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18228 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18229 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18230 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18231 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18233 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18234 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18235 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18236 in the group buffer.
18238 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18239 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18244 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18247 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18251 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18252 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18253 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18254 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18255 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18256 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18257 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18258 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18261 @node Outgoing Messages
18262 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18264 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18265 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18266 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18268 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18269 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18270 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18271 messages in the draft group.
18275 @node Agent Variables
18276 @subsection Agent Variables
18279 @item gnus-agent-directory
18280 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18281 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18282 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18284 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18285 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18286 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18287 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18288 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18291 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18292 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18293 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18295 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18296 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18297 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18299 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18300 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18301 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18303 @item gnus-agent-cache
18304 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18305 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18306 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18307 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18309 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18310 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18311 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18312 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18313 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18314 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18315 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18318 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18319 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18320 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18321 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18322 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18323 read. The default is t.
18325 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18326 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18327 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18328 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
18329 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
18331 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18332 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18333 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18334 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18335 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18336 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18337 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18338 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18339 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18340 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18341 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18342 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18345 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18346 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18347 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18348 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18349 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18350 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18351 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18352 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18353 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18355 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18356 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18357 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18358 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18359 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18360 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18362 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18363 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18364 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18365 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18366 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18371 @node Example Setup
18372 @subsection Example Setup
18374 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18375 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18376 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18379 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18380 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18381 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18383 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18384 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18385 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18387 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18388 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18390 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18391 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18392 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18395 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18396 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18399 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18400 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18401 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18402 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18403 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18406 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18407 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18408 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18409 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18410 back all the killed groups.)
18412 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18413 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18414 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18417 @node Batching Agents
18418 @subsection Batching Agents
18419 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18421 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18422 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18423 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18425 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18426 following incantation:
18430 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18434 @node Agent Caveats
18435 @subsection Agent Caveats
18437 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18438 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18442 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18444 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18445 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18446 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18448 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18449 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18451 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18455 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18456 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18457 locally stored articles.
18464 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18465 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18466 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18469 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18470 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18471 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18472 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18473 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18475 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18476 before generating the summary buffer.
18478 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18479 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18480 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18482 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18483 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18484 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18485 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18488 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18489 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18490 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18491 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18492 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18493 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18494 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18495 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18496 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18497 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18498 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18499 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18500 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18501 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18502 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18503 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18504 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18508 @node Summary Score Commands
18509 @section Summary Score Commands
18510 @cindex score commands
18512 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18513 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18514 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18515 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18516 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18518 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18519 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18520 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18521 score file the current one.
18523 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18528 @kindex V s (Summary)
18529 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18530 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18533 @kindex V S (Summary)
18534 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18535 Display the score of the current article
18536 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18539 @kindex V t (Summary)
18540 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18541 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18542 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18543 can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
18544 When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
18545 bring you to this string in the score file.
18548 @kindex V w (Summary)
18549 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18550 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18553 @kindex V R (Summary)
18554 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18555 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18556 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18557 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18558 effect you're having.
18561 @kindex V c (Summary)
18562 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18563 Make a different score file the current
18564 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18567 @kindex V e (Summary)
18568 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18569 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18570 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18574 @kindex V f (Summary)
18575 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18576 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18577 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18580 @kindex V F (Summary)
18581 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18582 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18583 after editing score files.
18586 @kindex V C (Summary)
18587 @findex gnus-score-customize
18588 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18589 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18593 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18598 @kindex V m (Summary)
18599 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18600 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18601 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18604 @kindex V x (Summary)
18605 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18606 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18607 expunge all articles below this score
18608 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18611 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18612 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18615 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18616 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18620 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18621 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18623 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18624 keys are available:
18628 Score on the author name.
18631 Score on the subject line.
18634 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18637 Score on the @code{References} line.
18643 Score on the number of lines.
18646 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18649 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18650 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18653 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18654 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18655 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18664 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18670 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18671 what headers you are scoring on.
18683 Substring matching.
18686 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18715 Greater than number.
18720 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18721 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18722 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18727 Temporary score entry.
18730 Permanent score entry.
18733 Immediately scoring.
18737 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18738 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18739 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18743 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18744 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18745 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18746 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18748 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18749 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18750 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18751 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18752 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18754 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18755 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18756 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18757 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18758 current score file.
18760 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18761 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18762 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18765 @node Group Score Commands
18766 @section Group Score Commands
18767 @cindex group score commands
18769 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18774 @kindex W f (Group)
18775 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18776 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18777 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18778 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18782 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18784 @findex gnus-batch-score
18785 @cindex batch scoring
18787 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18791 @node Score Variables
18792 @section Score Variables
18793 @cindex score variables
18797 @item gnus-use-scoring
18798 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18799 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18800 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18802 @item gnus-kill-killed
18803 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18804 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18805 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18806 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18807 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18808 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18809 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18811 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18812 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18813 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18814 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18815 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18817 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18818 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18819 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18820 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18822 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18823 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18824 @cindex score cache
18825 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18826 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18827 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18828 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18829 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18830 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18831 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18834 @item gnus-save-score
18835 @vindex gnus-save-score
18836 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18837 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18838 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18840 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18841 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18842 across group visits.
18844 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18845 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18846 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18847 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18848 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18849 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18850 manually entered data.
18852 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18853 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18854 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18856 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18857 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18858 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18859 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18860 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18861 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18863 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18864 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18865 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18866 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18868 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18869 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18870 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18871 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18873 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18874 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18875 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18876 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18878 Predefined functions available are:
18881 @item gnus-score-find-single
18882 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18883 Only apply the group's own score file.
18885 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18886 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18887 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18888 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18889 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18890 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18891 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18892 then a regexp match is done.
18894 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18895 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18897 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18898 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18899 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18900 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18902 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18903 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18904 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18905 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18906 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18910 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18911 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18912 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18913 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18914 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18915 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18916 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18919 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18920 overall score file, you could use the value
18922 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18923 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18926 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18927 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18928 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18929 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18930 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18932 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18933 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18934 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18935 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18936 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18937 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18938 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18939 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18941 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18942 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18943 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18945 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18946 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18947 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
18948 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18949 threading---according to the current value of
18950 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
18951 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18952 simplified in this manner.
18957 @node Score File Format
18958 @section Score File Format
18959 @cindex score file format
18961 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18962 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18963 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18965 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18969 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18971 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18973 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18975 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18980 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18984 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18985 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18986 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18987 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18991 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
18992 Scoring}, for a different approach.
18994 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
18995 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18996 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18998 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19003 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19004 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19005 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19006 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19007 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19008 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19009 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19010 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19011 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19012 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19013 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19014 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19015 to articles that matches these score entries.
19017 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19018 score entry has one to four elements.
19022 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19023 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19027 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19028 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19029 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19030 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19031 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19032 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19035 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19036 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19037 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19038 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19039 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19042 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19043 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19044 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19045 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19048 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19049 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19050 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19051 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19052 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19053 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19054 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19055 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19056 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19057 instead, if you feel like.
19060 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19061 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19062 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19063 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19064 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
19065 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
19068 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19072 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19073 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19075 These predicates are true if
19078 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19081 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19082 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19089 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19090 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19091 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19092 it's not. I think.)
19094 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19095 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19096 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19097 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19100 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19101 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19102 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19103 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19104 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19105 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19106 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19110 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19111 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19112 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19113 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19114 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19115 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19116 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19117 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19120 @item Head, Body, All
19121 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19125 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19126 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19127 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19128 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19129 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19130 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19131 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19135 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19136 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19137 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19138 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19139 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19140 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19141 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19142 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19143 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19144 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19145 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19149 @cindex score file atoms
19151 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19152 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19155 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19156 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19158 @item mark-and-expunge
19159 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19160 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19163 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19164 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19165 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19166 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19167 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19170 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19171 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19174 @item exclude-files
19175 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19176 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19180 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19181 ignored when handling global score files.
19184 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19185 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19186 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19187 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19190 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19191 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19192 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19193 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19195 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19199 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19202 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19203 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19204 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19205 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19206 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19208 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19209 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19210 scoring rules exist.
19213 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19214 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19215 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19216 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19217 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19218 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19219 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19220 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19221 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19222 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19223 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19227 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19228 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19229 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19230 file for a number of groups.
19233 @cindex local variables
19234 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19235 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19236 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19237 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19238 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19243 @node Score File Editing
19244 @section Score File Editing
19246 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19247 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19248 with a mode for that.
19250 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19251 additional commands:
19256 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19257 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19258 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19259 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19262 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19263 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19264 Insert the current date in numerical format
19265 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19266 you were wondering.
19269 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19270 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19271 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19272 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19273 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19278 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19280 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19281 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19283 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19284 e} to begin editing score files.
19287 @node Adaptive Scoring
19288 @section Adaptive Scoring
19289 @cindex adaptive scoring
19291 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19292 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19293 stupidity, to be precise.
19295 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19296 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19297 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19298 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19299 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19300 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19301 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19302 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19303 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19305 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19306 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19307 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19308 might look something like this:
19311 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19312 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19313 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19314 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19315 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19316 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19317 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19318 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19319 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19320 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19321 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19322 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19325 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19326 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19327 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19328 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19329 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19330 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19333 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19334 will be applied to each article.
19336 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19337 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19338 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19339 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19341 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19342 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19343 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19344 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19346 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19347 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19348 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19349 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19351 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19352 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19353 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19354 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19355 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19356 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19358 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19359 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19360 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19362 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19363 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19364 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19366 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19367 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19368 let you use different rules in different groups.
19370 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19371 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19372 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19375 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19376 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19377 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19378 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19379 the length of the match is less than
19380 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19381 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19384 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19385 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19386 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19387 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19388 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19391 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19392 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19393 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19394 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19395 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19398 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19399 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19400 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19401 score with 30 points.
19403 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19404 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19405 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19406 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19407 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19409 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19410 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19411 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19412 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19413 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19415 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19416 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19417 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19418 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19420 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19421 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19422 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19423 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19425 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19426 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19427 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19428 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19429 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19431 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19432 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19433 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19435 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19436 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19437 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19438 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19441 @node Home Score File
19442 @section Home Score File
19444 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19445 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19446 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19447 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19449 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19450 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19451 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19453 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19454 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19459 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19463 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19464 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19468 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19472 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19473 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19476 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19477 be used as the home score file.
19480 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19483 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19488 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19491 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19492 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19495 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19496 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19498 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19500 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19501 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19504 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19505 Other functions include
19508 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19509 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19510 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19511 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19515 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19516 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19517 their own home score files:
19520 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19521 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19522 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19523 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19524 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19527 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19528 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19529 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19530 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19531 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19533 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19534 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19535 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19536 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19537 precedence over this variable.
19540 @node Followups To Yourself
19541 @section Followups To Yourself
19543 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19544 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19545 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19546 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19547 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19548 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19552 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19553 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19554 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19557 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19558 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19559 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19563 @vindex message-sent-hook
19564 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19565 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19567 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19571 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19572 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19576 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19577 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19580 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19581 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19586 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19590 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19591 is system-dependent.
19594 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19595 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19596 @cindex scoring on other headers
19598 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19599 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19600 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19601 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19602 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19604 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19605 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19606 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19607 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19608 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19610 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19613 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19614 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19617 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19618 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19619 time if you have much mail.
19621 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19622 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19628 @section Scoring Tips
19629 @cindex scoring tips
19635 @cindex scoring crossposts
19636 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19637 the @code{Xref} header.
19639 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19642 @item Multiple crossposts
19643 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19644 more than, say, 3 groups:
19647 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19651 @item Matching on the body
19652 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19653 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19654 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19655 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19656 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19657 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19658 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19661 @item Marking as read
19662 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19663 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19664 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19668 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19670 @item Negated character classes
19671 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19672 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19673 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19677 @node Reverse Scoring
19678 @section Reverse Scoring
19679 @cindex reverse scoring
19681 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19682 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19683 like this in your score file:
19687 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19692 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19693 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19696 @node Global Score Files
19697 @section Global Score Files
19698 @cindex global score files
19700 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19701 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19702 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19704 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19705 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19706 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19708 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19709 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19710 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19711 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19712 files are applicable to which group.
19714 To use the score file
19715 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19716 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19720 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19721 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19722 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19725 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19727 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19728 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19729 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19730 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19732 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19733 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19735 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19736 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19737 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19738 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19739 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19740 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19742 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19748 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19750 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19752 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19754 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19755 lowered out of existence.
19757 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19758 articles completely.
19761 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19762 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19763 old articles for a long time.
19766 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19767 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19768 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19769 holding our breath yet?
19773 @section Kill Files
19776 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19777 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19778 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19780 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19781 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19782 files into score files.
19784 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19785 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19786 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19787 that isn't a very good idea.
19789 Normal kill files look like this:
19792 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19793 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19797 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19798 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19800 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19801 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19804 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
19809 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19810 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19811 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19814 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19815 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19816 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19819 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19824 @kindex M-k (Group)
19825 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19826 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19829 @kindex M-K (Group)
19830 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19831 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19834 Kill file variables:
19837 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19838 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19839 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19840 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19841 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19842 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19843 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19845 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19846 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19847 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19848 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19851 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19852 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19853 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19854 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19855 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19856 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19857 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19858 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19859 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19861 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19862 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19863 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19868 @node Converting Kill Files
19869 @section Converting Kill Files
19871 @cindex converting kill files
19873 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19874 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19875 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19878 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19879 You can fetch it from
19880 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19882 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19883 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19884 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19892 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19893 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19895 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/, GroupLens} is a
19896 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19897 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19898 news articles generated every day.
19900 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19901 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19902 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19903 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19904 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19905 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19906 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19907 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19911 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19912 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19913 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19914 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19918 @node Using GroupLens
19919 @subsection Using GroupLens
19921 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local
19922 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html, Better Bit
19923 Bureau (BBB)} is the only better bit in town at the moment.
19925 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19929 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19930 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19931 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19932 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19934 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19935 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19936 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19937 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19939 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19940 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19941 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19945 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19946 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19947 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19948 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19949 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19950 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19953 @node Rating Articles
19954 @subsection Rating Articles
19956 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19957 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19958 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19959 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19962 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19967 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19968 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19969 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19972 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19973 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19974 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19975 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19976 threads in rec.humor.
19980 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19981 the score of the article you're reading.
19986 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19987 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19988 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19991 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19992 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19993 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19997 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19998 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
20001 @node Displaying Predictions
20002 @subsection Displaying Predictions
20004 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
20005 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
20006 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
20007 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
20008 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
20010 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
20011 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
20012 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
20013 regular Gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
20014 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
20015 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
20016 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
20017 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
20018 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
20019 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
20020 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
20021 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
20022 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
20024 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
20025 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
20026 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
20027 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
20029 The following are valid values for that variable.
20032 @item prediction-spot
20033 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
20036 @item confidence-interval
20037 A numeric confidence interval.
20039 @item prediction-bar
20040 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
20042 @item confidence-bar
20043 Numerical confidence.
20045 @item confidence-spot
20046 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
20048 @item prediction-num
20049 Plain-old numeric value.
20051 @item confidence-plus-minus
20052 Prediction +/- confidence.
20057 @node GroupLens Variables
20058 @subsection GroupLens Variables
20062 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
20063 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
20064 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
20065 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
20068 @item grouplens-bbb-host
20069 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
20072 @item grouplens-bbb-port
20073 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
20075 @item grouplens-score-offset
20076 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
20077 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
20080 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
20081 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
20082 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
20087 @node Advanced Scoring
20088 @section Advanced Scoring
20090 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20091 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20092 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20093 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20094 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20096 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20100 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20101 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20102 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20106 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20107 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20109 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20110 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20111 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20112 non-@code{nil} value.
20114 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20115 operator, and various match operators.
20122 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20123 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20124 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20129 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20130 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20131 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20136 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20137 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20141 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20142 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20143 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20144 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20145 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20146 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20147 the ancestry you want to go.
20149 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20150 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20151 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20152 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20153 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20156 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20157 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20159 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20160 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20163 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20164 when he's talking about Gnus:
20169 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20170 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20177 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20181 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20188 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20189 really don't want to read what he's written:
20193 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20194 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20198 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20199 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20200 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20207 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20208 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20209 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20210 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20214 The possibilities are endless.
20217 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20218 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20220 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20221 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20222 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20223 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20224 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20225 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20226 @samp{subject}) first.
20228 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20229 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20240 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20241 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20247 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20254 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20255 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20260 @section Score Decays
20261 @cindex score decays
20264 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20265 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20266 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20267 use them in any sensible way.
20269 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20270 @findex gnus-decay-score
20271 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20272 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20273 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20274 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20275 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20276 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20277 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20278 definition of that function:
20281 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20283 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20284 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20287 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
20289 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20291 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20294 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20295 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20296 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20297 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20301 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20304 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20307 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20311 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20312 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20313 the new score, which should be an integer.
20315 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20316 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20321 @include message.texi
20322 @chapter Emacs MIME
20323 @include emacs-mime.texi
20325 @include sieve.texi
20327 @c @include pgg.texi
20335 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20336 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20337 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20338 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20339 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20340 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20341 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20342 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20343 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20344 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20345 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20346 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20347 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20348 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20349 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20350 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20351 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20352 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20353 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20357 @node Process/Prefix
20358 @section Process/Prefix
20359 @cindex process/prefix convention
20361 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20362 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20364 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20365 command to be performed on.
20369 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20370 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20371 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20372 with the current one.
20374 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20375 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20376 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20378 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20379 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20382 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20383 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20385 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20388 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20389 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20390 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20391 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20393 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20394 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20395 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20396 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20397 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20398 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20399 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20400 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20402 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20403 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20404 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20405 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20406 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20410 @section Interactive
20411 @cindex interaction
20415 @item gnus-novice-user
20416 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20417 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20418 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20419 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20420 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20423 @item gnus-expert-user
20424 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20425 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20426 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20427 matter how strange.
20429 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20430 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20431 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20432 is @code{t} by default.
20434 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20435 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20436 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20441 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20442 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20443 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20445 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20446 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20447 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20448 rule of 900 to the current article.
20450 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20451 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20452 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20453 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20454 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20455 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20456 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20458 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20459 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20460 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20461 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20462 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20463 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20464 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20465 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20466 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20468 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20469 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20470 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20472 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20476 @node Formatting Variables
20477 @section Formatting Variables
20478 @cindex formatting variables
20480 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20481 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20482 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20483 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20484 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20487 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20488 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20489 lots of percentages everywhere.
20492 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20493 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20494 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20495 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20496 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20497 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20498 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20499 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20502 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20503 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20504 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20505 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20506 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20507 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20508 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20509 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20511 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20512 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20514 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20515 @findex gnus-update-format
20516 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20517 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20518 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20519 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20523 @node Formatting Basics
20524 @subsection Formatting Basics
20526 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20527 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20528 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20530 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20531 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20532 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20533 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20534 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20537 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20538 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20539 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20540 less than 4 characters wide.
20542 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20543 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20546 @node Mode Line Formatting
20547 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20549 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20550 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20551 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20552 with the following two differences:
20557 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20560 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20561 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20562 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20563 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20564 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20565 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20566 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20571 @node Advanced Formatting
20572 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20574 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20575 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20576 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20577 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20579 These are the valid modifiers:
20584 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20588 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20593 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20596 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20601 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20604 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20607 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20610 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20616 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20621 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20622 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20623 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20624 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20625 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20626 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20627 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20629 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20630 last operation, padding.
20632 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
20633 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
20634 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
20635 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
20636 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
20637 the look of your lines.
20638 @xref{Compilation}.
20641 @node User-Defined Specs
20642 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20644 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20645 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20646 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20647 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20648 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20649 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20650 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20651 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20652 should protect against that.
20654 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20655 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20657 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20658 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20659 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20660 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20664 @node Formatting Fonts
20665 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20667 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20668 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20669 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20670 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20673 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20674 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20675 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20676 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20677 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20678 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20680 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20681 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20682 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20683 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20684 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20685 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20686 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20687 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20688 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20689 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20690 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20693 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20696 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20697 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20698 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20700 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20701 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20702 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20703 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20704 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20705 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20706 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20708 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20709 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20710 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20713 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20714 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20716 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20717 mode-line variables.
20719 @node Positioning Point
20720 @subsection Positioning Point
20722 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20723 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20724 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20726 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20728 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20729 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20730 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20732 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20733 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20734 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20739 @subsection Tabulation
20741 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20742 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20743 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20744 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20746 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20747 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20749 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20750 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20751 This is the soft tabulator.
20753 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20754 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20755 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20758 @node Wide Characters
20759 @subsection Wide Characters
20761 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20762 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20763 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20765 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20766 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20767 these countries, that's not true.
20769 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20770 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20771 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20772 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20776 @node Window Layout
20777 @section Window Layout
20778 @cindex window layout
20780 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20782 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20783 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20784 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20785 @code{t} by default.
20787 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20788 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20790 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20791 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20792 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20795 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20796 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20797 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20801 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20802 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20803 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20804 possible names is listed below.
20806 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20807 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20810 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20814 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20815 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20816 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20817 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20818 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20819 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20820 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20821 size spec per split.
20823 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20824 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20825 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20826 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20827 present) gets focus.
20829 Here's a more complicated example:
20832 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20833 (summary 0.25 point)
20834 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20838 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20839 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20840 occupy, not a percentage.
20842 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20843 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20844 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20845 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20846 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20849 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20852 (article (horizontal 1.0
20857 (summary 0.25 point)
20862 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20863 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20865 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20866 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20867 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20868 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20869 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20871 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20872 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20873 lines from the splits.
20875 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20880 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20881 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20882 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20883 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20884 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20885 size = number | frame-params
20886 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20890 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20891 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20892 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20893 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20895 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20896 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20897 @cindex window height
20898 @cindex window width
20899 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20900 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20901 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20902 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20903 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20904 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20906 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20907 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20908 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20909 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20911 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20912 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20913 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20914 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20915 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20916 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20917 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20918 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20919 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20920 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20921 configuration list.
20924 (gnus-configure-frame
20928 (article 0.3 point))
20936 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20937 @code{frame} split:
20940 (gnus-configure-frame
20943 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20945 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20946 (user-position . t)
20947 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20952 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20953 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20954 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20955 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20956 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20957 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20958 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20959 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20961 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20962 be found in its default value.
20964 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20965 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20966 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20970 (message (horizontal 1.0
20971 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20973 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20978 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20979 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20980 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20985 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20986 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20987 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20988 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20989 (name . "Message"))
20990 (message 1.0 point))))
20993 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20994 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20995 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20996 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20997 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21000 (gnus-add-configuration
21001 '(article (vertical 1.0
21003 (summary .25 point)
21007 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21008 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21009 Gnus has been loaded.
21011 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21012 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21013 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21014 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21015 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21017 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21018 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21019 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21022 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21026 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21027 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21042 (gnus-add-configuration
21045 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21047 (summary 0.16 point)
21050 (gnus-add-configuration
21053 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21054 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21060 @node Faces and Fonts
21061 @section Faces and Fonts
21066 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21067 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21068 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21073 @section Compilation
21074 @cindex compilation
21075 @cindex byte-compilation
21077 @findex gnus-compile
21079 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21080 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21081 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
21082 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
21083 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
21084 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21085 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21086 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21089 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21090 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21091 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21092 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
21093 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21096 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
21097 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
21098 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
21099 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
21100 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
21105 @section Mode Lines
21108 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21109 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21110 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21111 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21112 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21113 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21114 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21117 @cindex display-time
21119 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21120 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21121 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21122 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21123 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21124 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21125 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21126 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21129 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21131 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21132 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21134 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21135 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21136 (length display-time-string)))))
21139 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21140 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21141 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21142 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21143 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21146 @node Highlighting and Menus
21147 @section Highlighting and Menus
21149 @cindex highlighting
21152 @vindex gnus-visual
21153 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21154 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21155 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21158 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21159 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21162 @item group-highlight
21163 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21164 @item summary-highlight
21165 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21166 @item article-highlight
21167 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21169 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21171 Create menus in the group buffer.
21173 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21175 Create menus in the article buffer.
21177 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21179 Create menus in the server buffer.
21181 Create menus in the score buffers.
21183 Create menus in all buffers.
21186 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21187 buffers, you could say something like:
21190 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21193 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21196 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21199 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21200 in all Gnus buffers.
21202 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21205 @item gnus-mouse-face
21206 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21207 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21208 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21212 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21216 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21217 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21218 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21220 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21221 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21222 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21224 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21225 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21226 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21228 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21229 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21230 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21232 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21233 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21234 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21236 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21237 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21238 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21249 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21250 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21251 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21252 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21253 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21257 @vindex gnus-carpal
21258 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21259 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21260 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21265 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21266 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21267 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21269 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21270 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21271 Face used on buttons.
21273 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21274 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21275 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21277 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21278 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21279 Buttons in the group buffer.
21281 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21282 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21283 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21285 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21286 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21287 Buttons in the server buffer.
21289 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21290 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21291 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21294 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21295 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21296 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21304 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21305 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21306 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21307 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21308 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21310 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21311 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21312 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21314 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21315 been idle for thirty minutes:
21318 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21321 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21325 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21328 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21329 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21330 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21332 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21333 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21334 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21335 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21337 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21338 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21339 @var{idle} minutes.
21341 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21342 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21345 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21346 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21347 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21349 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21350 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21351 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21352 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21354 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21355 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21357 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21359 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21362 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21363 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21364 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21365 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21366 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21367 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21368 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21369 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21370 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21371 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21372 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21374 @findex gnus-demon-init
21375 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21376 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21377 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21378 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21379 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21381 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21382 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21383 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21392 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21393 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21395 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21396 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21397 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21398 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21401 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21402 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21403 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21404 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21406 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21407 this will make spam disappear.
21409 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21412 @item gnus-use-nocem
21413 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21414 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21417 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21418 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21419 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21422 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21423 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21426 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21427 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21428 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21429 people you want to listen to. The default is
21431 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21432 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21434 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21436 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21437 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21439 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21440 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21441 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21442 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21443 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21444 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21445 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21446 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21447 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21448 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21450 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21451 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21454 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21457 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21458 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21461 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21464 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21467 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21468 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21470 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21471 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21472 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21473 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21475 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21476 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21479 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21481 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21489 This might be dangerous, though.
21491 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21492 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21493 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21494 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21496 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21497 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21498 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21499 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21500 might then see old spam.
21502 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21503 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21504 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21505 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21506 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21509 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21510 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21511 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21512 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21516 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21517 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21518 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21519 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21526 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21527 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21528 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21530 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21531 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21532 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21533 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21534 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21535 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21536 @code{undo} function.
21538 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21539 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21540 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21541 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21542 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21543 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21544 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21545 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21546 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21547 never be totally undoable.
21549 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21550 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21552 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21553 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21554 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21555 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21559 @node Predicate Specifiers
21560 @section Predicate Specifiers
21561 @cindex predicate specifiers
21563 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21564 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21565 to type all that much.
21567 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21572 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21573 gnus-article-unread-p)
21576 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21577 functions all take one parameter.
21579 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21580 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21581 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21582 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21587 @section Moderation
21590 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21591 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21592 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21595 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21599 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21602 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21604 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21609 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21610 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21611 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21614 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21615 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21618 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21619 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21623 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21626 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21627 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21631 @node Image Enhancements
21632 @section Image Enhancements
21634 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21635 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21636 taken advantage of that.
21639 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21640 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21641 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21642 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21643 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21651 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21652 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21653 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21657 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21658 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21659 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21667 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21668 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21669 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21670 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21672 The variable that controls this is the
21673 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21674 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21675 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21676 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21677 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21679 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21680 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21681 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21682 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21685 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21686 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21687 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21688 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21689 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21690 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21691 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21692 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21694 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21697 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21698 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21700 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21701 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21702 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21703 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21704 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21705 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21706 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21707 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21708 header data as a string.
21710 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21711 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21712 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21713 randomly generated data.
21715 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21716 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21717 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21718 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21719 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21721 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21722 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21725 (setq message-required-news-headers
21726 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21727 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21730 Using the last function would be something like this:
21733 (setq message-required-news-headers
21734 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21735 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21736 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21737 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21745 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21747 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21748 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21749 represent the author of the message.
21752 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21753 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21754 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21757 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21758 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21760 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21761 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21762 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21764 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21765 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
21766 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
21767 converts the file to Face format by using the
21768 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
21770 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
21771 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21774 (setq message-required-news-headers
21775 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21776 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
21777 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
21782 @subsection Smileys
21787 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21792 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21793 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21795 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21796 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21799 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21802 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21803 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21804 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21805 text and maps that to file names.
21807 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21808 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21809 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21810 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21811 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21814 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21819 @item smiley-data-directory
21820 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21821 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21823 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21824 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21825 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21839 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21840 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
21841 over your shoulder as you read news.
21843 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21852 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21853 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21854 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21855 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21856 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21857 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21858 @code{GIF} formats.
21861 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21862 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21863 point your Web browser at
21864 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21866 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21867 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21869 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21870 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21873 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21877 @item gnus-picon-databases
21878 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21879 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21880 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21881 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21882 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21884 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21885 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21886 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21887 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21889 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21890 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21891 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21892 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21894 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21895 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21896 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21897 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21898 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21900 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21901 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21902 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21903 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
21909 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21912 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21913 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21914 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21915 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21916 unusual directory structure.
21918 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21919 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21920 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21921 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21923 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21924 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21925 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21926 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21927 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21928 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21930 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21931 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21932 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21937 @subsubsection Toolbar
21941 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21942 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21943 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21944 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21945 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21947 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21948 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21949 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21951 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21952 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21953 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21955 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21956 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21957 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21968 @node Fuzzy Matching
21969 @section Fuzzy Matching
21970 @cindex fuzzy matching
21972 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21973 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21975 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21976 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21977 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21979 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21980 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21981 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21982 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21983 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21986 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21987 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21991 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21993 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21994 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21995 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21996 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21997 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21998 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21999 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22000 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22003 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22004 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22005 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22006 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22007 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22008 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22010 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22013 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22014 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22015 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22016 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22017 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22018 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22021 @node The problem of spam
22022 @subsection The problem of spam
22024 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22025 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22027 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22029 First, some background on spam.
22031 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22032 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
22033 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
22034 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
22035 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
22036 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
22037 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
22038 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22040 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22041 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22042 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22043 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22044 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22045 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22046 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22047 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22048 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22051 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
22052 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
22053 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
22054 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
22055 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
22056 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
22057 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
22058 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
22059 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
22060 mail can be useful.
22062 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22063 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22064 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22065 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22066 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into
22067 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the
22068 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
22069 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
22070 message is spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22072 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22073 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22074 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22075 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22076 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22077 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
22078 because of the incident.
22080 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22081 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22082 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22083 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22084 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22085 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22086 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22087 to store the database of spam analyses.
22089 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22090 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22094 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22096 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22097 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22099 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22100 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22101 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22102 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22103 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22104 part of the mail address.)
22107 (setq message-default-news-headers
22108 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22111 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22112 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22117 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22118 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22119 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22125 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22126 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22127 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22128 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22130 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22131 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22132 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22133 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22134 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22135 your fancy split rule in this way:
22140 (to "larsi" "misc")
22144 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22145 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22146 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22147 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22148 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22150 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22151 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22152 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22153 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22158 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22159 @cindex SpamAssassin
22160 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22163 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
22164 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22165 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22166 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22167 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22168 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22169 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22171 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22172 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22173 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22174 Specifiers}) follow.
22178 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22181 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22184 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22185 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22186 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22189 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22193 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22196 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22197 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22201 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22202 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22203 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22204 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22207 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22209 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22212 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22213 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22217 Note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will not be
22218 downloaded by default. You need to set
22219 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to t to do that (@pxref{Splitting in
22222 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22223 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22224 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22227 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22228 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22230 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22231 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22232 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22236 @subsection Hashcash
22239 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22240 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22241 you cannot rely on everyone in the world using this technique,
22242 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22243 in smaller communities.
22245 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22246 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22247 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22248 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22249 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22250 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
22251 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22252 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22253 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22254 one of them separately.
22257 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22258 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22259 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22260 header. For more details, and for the external application
22261 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22262 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22263 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22265 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22269 (require 'hashcash)
22270 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22273 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22274 contrib directory or at
22275 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22277 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22281 @item hashcash-default-payment
22282 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22283 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22284 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22285 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22287 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22288 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22289 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22290 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22291 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22292 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22293 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22294 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22295 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22299 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22303 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22304 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22305 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22306 a useful contribution, however.
22308 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22309 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22310 @cindex spam filtering
22313 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22314 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22315 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22316 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22319 First of all, you @strong{must} run the function
22320 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @code{spam.el} and to install the
22321 @code{spam.el} hooks:
22327 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22329 You get the following keyboard commands:
22339 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22340 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22342 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22343 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22344 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22345 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22351 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22352 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22354 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22360 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22361 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22364 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22365 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22366 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22367 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22368 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22369 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22370 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22371 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22372 will be detected later.
22374 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22375 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22376 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22377 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22378 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22379 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22380 by customizing the corresponding variable
22381 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22382 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22383 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22384 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22385 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22386 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22387 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22390 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22392 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22393 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22394 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22395 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22396 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22397 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22398 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
22399 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
22400 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
22401 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
22402 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
22403 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
22404 processor which will study them as spam samples.
22406 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22407 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22408 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22409 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22410 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22411 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22412 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22413 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22416 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22417 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22418 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22422 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22423 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22427 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22428 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22429 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22430 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22431 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22432 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22435 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22436 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22437 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22438 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22439 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22440 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22441 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22442 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22443 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22444 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
22445 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22446 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
22447 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22448 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22450 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22451 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22453 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
22454 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
22455 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
22456 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
22457 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
22459 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
22460 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
22461 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
22462 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
22463 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
22466 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22467 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22468 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22469 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22470 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22471 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22472 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22473 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
22474 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
22475 the spam articles are only expired.
22477 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22478 must add the following to your fancy split list
22479 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22485 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22486 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22487 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22489 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22490 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22491 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22492 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}.
22494 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22495 e.g. @samp{'spam-use-regex-headers}. Why is this useful?
22497 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22498 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22501 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22502 (any "ding" "ding")
22508 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22509 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22510 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22511 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22512 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22513 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22515 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
22516 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22517 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22520 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22521 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22522 (any "ding" "ding")
22528 Basically, this lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks
22529 depending on your particular needs. You don't have to throw all mail
22530 into all the spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that
22531 messages to mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have
22532 resource-intensive blackhole checks performed on them. You could also
22533 specify different spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap
22536 You still have to have specific checks such as
22537 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you specifically
22538 invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is that when
22539 loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on
22540 what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
22542 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22544 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22545 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22546 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22547 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22548 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22549 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22550 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22551 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22553 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22555 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22556 into a back end. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22557 longer spam or ham.}
22559 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22560 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22563 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22564 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22567 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22568 * BBDB Whitelists::
22569 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22570 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22572 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22574 * ifile spam filtering::
22575 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22577 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22580 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22581 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22582 @cindex spam filtering
22583 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22584 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22587 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22589 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22590 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22591 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22592 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22597 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22599 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22600 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22601 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22602 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22603 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22607 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22609 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22610 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22611 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22615 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22617 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22618 customizing the group parameters or the
22619 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22620 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22621 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22625 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22627 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22628 customizing the group parameters or the
22629 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22630 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22631 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22632 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22633 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22637 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22638 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22639 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22640 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22641 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22643 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22644 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22645 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22646 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22648 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22649 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22650 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22651 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22652 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22653 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22655 @node BBDB Whitelists
22656 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22657 @cindex spam filtering
22658 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22659 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22662 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22664 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22665 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22666 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22667 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22668 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22669 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22670 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22674 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22676 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22677 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22678 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22679 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22680 classified as spammers.
22684 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22686 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22687 customizing the group parameters or the
22688 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22689 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22690 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22691 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22692 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22696 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
22697 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
22698 @cindex spam reporting
22699 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22700 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22703 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
22705 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22706 customizing the group parameters or the
22707 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22708 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22709 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
22712 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
22716 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
22718 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
22719 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
22720 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
22721 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
22722 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
22727 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22728 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22729 @cindex spam filtering
22730 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
22733 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
22735 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22736 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
22737 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
22738 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
22739 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
22740 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
22741 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
22747 @subsubsection Blackholes
22748 @cindex spam filtering
22749 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22752 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22754 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22755 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22756 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22757 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22758 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22759 contains outdated servers.
22761 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22762 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22763 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
22764 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
22765 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
22766 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22770 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22772 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22776 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22778 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22779 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
22783 @defvar spam-use-dig
22785 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22786 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22790 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22791 ham processor for blackholes.
22793 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22794 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22795 @cindex spam filtering
22796 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22799 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22801 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22802 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22803 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22804 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22805 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22806 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22810 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22812 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22813 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22817 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22819 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22820 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22824 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22825 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22828 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22829 @cindex spam filtering
22830 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22833 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22835 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22838 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22839 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22840 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22841 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22842 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22843 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22845 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
22846 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
22849 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22850 processing will be turned off.
22852 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22856 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22858 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22859 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22860 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22861 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22862 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22863 installation documents for details.
22865 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22869 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22870 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22871 customizing the group parameters or the
22872 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22873 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22874 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22877 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22878 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22879 customizing the group parameters or the
22880 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22881 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22882 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22883 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22884 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22887 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22889 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22890 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22891 database directory.
22895 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
22896 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22897 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22898 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22899 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22900 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22902 @node ifile spam filtering
22903 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22904 @cindex spam filtering
22905 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22908 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22910 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
22911 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22915 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22917 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22918 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22919 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22923 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22925 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22926 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22927 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22930 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22932 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22933 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22937 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22938 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22939 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22940 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22943 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22944 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22945 @cindex spam filtering
22946 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22950 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22952 @defvar spam-use-stat
22954 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22955 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22959 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22960 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22961 customizing the group parameters or the
22962 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22963 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22964 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22967 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22968 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22969 customizing the group parameters or the
22970 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22971 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22972 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22973 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22974 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22977 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
22978 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
22979 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
22980 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
22981 @code{spam-split} are provided.
22984 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
22985 @cindex spam filtering
22989 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
22990 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
22991 installed separately.
22993 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
22994 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
22995 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
22996 mail as a spam mail or not.
22998 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
22999 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
23000 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
23002 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
23003 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
23005 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
23006 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
23007 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
23008 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
23009 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
23010 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
23011 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
23012 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
23016 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
23017 spam-split-group "Junk"
23018 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23019 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23020 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23023 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23024 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23028 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23029 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23030 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23034 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23035 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23036 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23037 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23038 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23039 database to live somewhere special, set
23040 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23043 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23044 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23045 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23046 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23047 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23048 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23049 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23050 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23051 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23052 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23054 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23055 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23056 customizing the group parameter or the
23057 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23058 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23059 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23062 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23063 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23064 customizing the group parameter or the
23065 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23066 to a grup's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23067 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23068 messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam} or
23069 @emph{unclassified} groups.
23072 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of an group that has been
23073 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23076 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23078 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle)))
23080 For this group the @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle} is
23081 installed. If the group contains spam message (e.g. because SpamOracle
23082 has not had enough sample messages yet) and the user marks some
23083 messages as spam messages, these messages will be processed by
23084 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}. This processor sends
23085 the messages to SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23087 @node Extending the spam elisp package
23088 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
23089 @cindex spam filtering
23090 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23091 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23093 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23094 incoming mail, provide the following:
23102 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23103 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23108 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23110 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23115 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23116 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
23117 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
23119 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23120 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23121 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23125 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23132 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23133 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23136 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23137 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23138 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23140 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23141 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23142 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23150 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
23151 (spam-generic-register-routine
23152 ;; @r{the spam function}
23154 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23155 (when (stringp from)
23156 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
23157 ;; @r{the ham function}
23160 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
23161 (spam-generic-register-routine
23162 ;; @r{the spam function}
23164 ;; @r{the ham function}
23166 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23167 (when (stringp from)
23168 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
23171 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
23172 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
23173 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
23174 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
23175 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
23176 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
23181 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23182 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23183 @cindex Paul Graham
23184 @cindex Graham, Paul
23185 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23186 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23187 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23189 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23190 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23191 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23192 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23193 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23194 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23195 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23196 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23197 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23200 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23201 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23202 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23203 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23204 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23205 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23206 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23207 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23209 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23210 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23211 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23212 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23213 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23216 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23217 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23218 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23221 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23222 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23224 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23225 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23226 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23227 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23228 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23230 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23231 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23232 per mail. Use the following:
23234 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23235 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23236 is treated as one spam mail.
23239 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23240 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23241 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23244 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
23245 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
23246 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
23247 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
23248 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
23249 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
23251 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
23252 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
23253 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
23254 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
23255 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
23258 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
23259 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
23260 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
23261 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
23264 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
23265 reset the dictionary.
23267 @defun spam-stat-reset
23268 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
23271 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
23272 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
23273 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
23274 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
23275 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
23276 only non-spam mails.
23278 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
23279 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
23280 to update the dictionary incrementally.
23283 @defun spam-stat-save
23284 Save the dictionary.
23287 @defvar spam-stat-file
23288 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
23289 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
23292 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
23293 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
23295 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
23296 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23299 (require 'spam-stat)
23303 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
23306 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
23307 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
23308 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
23309 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
23311 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
23312 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
23313 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
23314 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
23317 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23318 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23322 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
23323 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
23326 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
23327 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
23328 expression are considered potential spam.
23331 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23332 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23333 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23337 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
23338 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
23339 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
23340 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
23341 mails, when creating the dictionary!
23344 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23345 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23346 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23350 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
23351 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
23352 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
23353 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
23354 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
23358 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23359 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
23360 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23361 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23366 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23367 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23369 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
23371 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
23372 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
23373 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23376 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
23377 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
23378 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23381 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
23382 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
23383 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
23384 already been processed as non-spam.
23387 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
23388 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
23389 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
23390 been processed as spam.
23393 @defun spam-stat-save
23394 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
23395 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23398 @defun spam-stat-load
23399 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
23400 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23403 @defun spam-stat-score-word
23404 Return the spam score for a word.
23407 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
23408 Return the spam score for a buffer.
23411 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
23412 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
23413 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23416 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
23417 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23420 (require 'spam-stat)
23424 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
23427 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23428 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23429 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23430 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23431 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23432 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23433 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23434 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23435 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23436 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23437 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23438 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23439 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23440 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23443 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
23446 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23447 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23448 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23449 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
23450 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23451 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23454 @node Various Various
23455 @section Various Various
23461 @item gnus-home-directory
23462 @vindex gnus-home-directory
23463 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
23464 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
23466 @item gnus-directory
23467 @vindex gnus-directory
23468 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
23469 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
23470 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
23472 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
23473 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
23474 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
23475 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
23477 @item gnus-default-directory
23478 @vindex gnus-default-directory
23479 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
23480 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
23481 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
23482 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
23483 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
23484 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
23487 @vindex gnus-verbose
23488 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
23489 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
23490 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
23491 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
23492 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
23494 @item gnus-verbose-backends
23495 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
23496 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
23497 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
23499 @item nnheader-max-head-length
23500 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
23501 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
23502 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
23503 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
23504 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
23505 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
23506 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
23507 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
23508 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
23510 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
23511 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
23512 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
23513 read when doing the operation described above.
23515 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23516 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23518 @cindex invalid characters in file names
23519 @cindex characters in file names
23520 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
23521 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
23522 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
23526 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23531 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
23532 Windows (phooey) systems.
23534 @item gnus-hidden-properties
23535 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
23536 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
23537 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
23538 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
23540 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
23541 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
23542 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
23543 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
23544 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
23546 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
23547 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
23548 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
23550 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23551 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23553 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
23554 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
23555 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
23556 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
23559 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
23567 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
23568 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
23570 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23572 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23578 Not because of victories @*
23581 but for the common sunshine,@*
23583 the largess of the spring.
23587 but for the day's work done@*
23588 as well as I was able;@*
23589 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23590 but at the common table.@*
23595 @chapter Appendices
23598 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23599 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23600 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23601 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23602 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23603 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23604 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23605 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23606 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
23613 @cindex installing under XEmacs
23615 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23616 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23617 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23618 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23619 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23620 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23627 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23628 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23630 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23631 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23632 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23633 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23634 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23636 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23637 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23638 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23639 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23640 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23641 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23643 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23644 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23645 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23646 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23649 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23650 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23651 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23652 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23653 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23654 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23655 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23656 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23657 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23661 @node Gnus Versions
23662 @subsection Gnus Versions
23664 @cindex September Gnus
23666 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23667 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23670 @cindex Gnus versions
23672 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23673 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23674 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23676 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23677 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23679 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23680 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23682 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23683 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23685 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23686 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23689 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23691 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23692 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23693 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23694 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23695 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23696 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23699 @node Other Gnus Versions
23700 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23703 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23704 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23705 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
23706 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
23708 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23709 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23710 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23711 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23718 What's the point of Gnus?
23720 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23721 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23722 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23723 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23724 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23725 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23726 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23727 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23728 keep track of millions of people who post?
23730 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23731 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23732 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23733 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23734 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23735 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23736 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23737 every one of you to explore and invent.
23739 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23740 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23743 @node Compatibility
23744 @subsection Compatibility
23746 @cindex compatibility
23747 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23748 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23749 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23754 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23758 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23761 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23764 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23765 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23766 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23767 important variables have their values copied into their global
23768 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23769 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23771 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23772 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23773 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23774 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23775 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23779 @cindex highlighting
23780 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23781 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23782 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23783 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23784 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23785 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23788 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23789 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23790 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23791 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23793 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23794 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23795 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23796 to stop doing it the old way.
23798 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23800 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23802 @cindex reporting bugs
23804 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23805 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23806 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23808 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23809 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23810 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23811 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23816 @subsection Conformity
23818 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23819 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23827 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23831 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23833 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23834 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23835 We do have some breaches to this one.
23841 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23842 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23843 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23844 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23845 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23850 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23851 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23852 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23853 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23855 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23856 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
23857 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
23859 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23860 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23862 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23865 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
23866 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
23867 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
23868 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
23869 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
23872 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23873 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23874 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23875 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23877 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23878 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
23880 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23881 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
23882 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
23883 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
23884 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
23885 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
23886 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
23887 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
23891 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23892 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23897 @subsection Emacsen
23903 Gnus should work on:
23911 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
23915 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23916 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23917 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
23918 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
23919 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
23921 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23922 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23923 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23927 @node Gnus Development
23928 @subsection Gnus Development
23930 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23931 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23932 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23933 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23934 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23935 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23936 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23937 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23939 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23940 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23941 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23942 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23943 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23946 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23947 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23948 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23949 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23950 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23952 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23953 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23954 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23955 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23956 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23957 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23958 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23959 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23960 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23961 can't be assumed to do so.
23966 @subsection Contributors
23967 @cindex contributors
23969 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23970 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23971 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23972 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23973 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23974 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23975 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23976 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23977 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23978 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23980 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23986 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23989 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23990 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
23991 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23992 functionality and stuff.
23995 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23996 well as numerous other things).
23999 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
24002 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
24005 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
24008 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
24011 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
24012 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
24015 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
24018 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
24019 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24022 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24025 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24028 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24031 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24034 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24035 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24038 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24041 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24044 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24047 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24051 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24054 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24057 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24060 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24061 well as autoconf support.
24065 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24066 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24068 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24083 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24085 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24089 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24099 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24114 Massimo Campostrini,
24119 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24120 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24124 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24127 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24133 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24138 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24142 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24150 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24152 Michelangelo Grigni,
24156 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24158 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24160 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24167 François Felix Ingrand,
24168 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24169 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24171 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24181 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24182 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24184 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24185 Thor Kristoffersen,
24188 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24206 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24207 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24214 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
24219 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
24223 John McClary Prevost,
24229 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
24234 Christian von Roques,
24237 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
24244 Philippe Schnoebelen,
24246 Randal L. Schwartz,
24260 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
24265 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
24285 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
24286 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
24287 (550kB and counting).
24289 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
24292 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
24293 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
24297 @subsection New Features
24298 @cindex new features
24301 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
24302 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
24303 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
24304 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
24305 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
24306 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
24309 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
24310 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
24311 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
24314 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
24316 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
24321 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
24322 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
24325 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
24326 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
24329 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
24332 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
24333 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
24334 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
24337 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
24338 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
24339 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
24340 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24343 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
24344 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24347 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
24348 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
24349 (@pxref{The Active File}).
24352 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
24353 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
24356 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
24357 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
24358 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24361 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
24362 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
24363 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
24366 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
24367 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
24370 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
24371 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
24374 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
24375 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
24378 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
24379 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24382 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
24383 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
24386 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
24387 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24390 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
24393 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
24394 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
24397 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
24398 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
24401 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
24402 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
24405 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
24408 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
24409 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24412 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
24416 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
24420 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
24421 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
24424 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
24430 @node September Gnus
24431 @subsubsection September Gnus
24435 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
24439 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
24444 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
24445 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
24449 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
24450 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
24454 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
24458 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
24459 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
24462 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
24466 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24469 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
24472 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
24475 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
24479 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
24480 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
24483 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
24487 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
24491 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
24495 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
24499 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
24502 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
24503 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
24506 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
24510 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
24511 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
24514 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
24517 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
24518 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
24519 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24522 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
24526 The Gnus cache is much faster.
24529 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
24533 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
24534 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24537 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
24538 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
24541 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
24542 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
24545 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
24546 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
24547 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
24550 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
24551 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
24554 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
24557 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24560 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
24563 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
24566 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
24567 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
24570 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
24574 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
24577 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
24582 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24585 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24589 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24592 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24596 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24599 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24602 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24603 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24606 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24607 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24611 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24612 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24615 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24619 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24620 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24623 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24626 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24630 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24634 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24635 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24638 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24642 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24643 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24646 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24647 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24650 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24654 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24657 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24660 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24666 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24668 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24672 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24679 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24682 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24683 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24686 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24687 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24691 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24692 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24695 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24698 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24699 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24702 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24706 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24707 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24711 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24712 Server Internals}).
24715 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24719 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24722 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24723 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24726 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24727 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24728 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24731 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24732 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24735 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24736 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24739 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24743 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24744 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24747 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24748 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24751 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24755 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24758 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24762 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24763 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24766 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24767 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24770 A new command for reading collections of documents
24771 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24772 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24775 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24779 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
24780 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24783 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24784 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24785 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24788 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24789 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24793 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24797 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24801 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24806 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24810 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24814 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24815 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24818 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24824 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24826 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24831 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24832 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
24833 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
24836 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24837 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24838 group, which is created automatically.
24841 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24845 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24848 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24849 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24852 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24856 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24859 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24860 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24863 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24866 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
24870 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24871 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24874 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24875 control over simplification.
24878 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24881 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24885 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24888 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24891 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24892 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24893 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24896 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24897 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24900 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24904 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24905 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24908 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24909 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
24912 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24916 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24919 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24922 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24923 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24926 A new function for citing in Message has been
24927 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24930 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24933 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24937 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24938 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24941 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24942 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24945 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24948 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24952 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24953 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24955 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24960 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24961 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24963 If you used procmail like in
24966 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24967 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24968 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24969 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24972 this now has changed to
24976 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24980 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
24983 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24984 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24987 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24988 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24991 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24992 called to position point.
24995 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24996 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
24999 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
25000 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
25003 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
25004 subtly different manner.
25007 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
25008 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
25009 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
25012 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
25017 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25020 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25025 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25026 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25029 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25031 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25032 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25033 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25034 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25035 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25036 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25037 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25038 isn't save in general.
25043 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25044 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25045 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25046 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25051 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} installs key bindings in dired buffers to send
25052 a file as an attachment (@kbd{C-c C-a}), open a file using the appropriate
25053 mailcap entry (@kbd{C-c C-l}), and print a file using the mailcap entry
25054 (@kbd{C-c P}). It is enabled with
25056 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25060 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25063 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25068 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25069 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25071 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25072 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25076 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25077 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25080 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25082 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25083 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25088 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25089 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25090 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25093 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25094 decompressed when activated.
25097 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25098 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25101 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25104 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25105 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25108 Warn about email replies to news
25110 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25111 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25115 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25116 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25120 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25121 opposed to old but unread messages).
25124 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25125 Gcc articles as read.
25128 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25131 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25132 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25135 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25136 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25139 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25140 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25143 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25144 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25147 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25149 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25150 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25151 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25152 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25155 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25157 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25158 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25159 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25160 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25161 the second parameter.
25163 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25164 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25165 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25166 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25167 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25168 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25169 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25170 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25171 cycle used under Unix systems.
25173 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25177 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25179 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25180 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25181 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25182 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25183 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25187 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25189 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25190 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25191 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25192 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25196 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25198 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25199 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25200 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25201 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25203 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25204 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
25205 message cited below.
25208 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
25211 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
25213 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
25214 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
25215 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
25216 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
25217 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
25220 (setq gnus-parameters
25222 (gnus-show-threads nil)
25223 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
25224 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
25225 (to-group . "\\1"))))
25229 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
25231 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
25235 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
25237 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
25238 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
25239 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
25240 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
25241 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
25242 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
25243 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
25244 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
25245 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
25248 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
25250 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
25251 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
25252 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
25253 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
25254 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
25255 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
25258 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
25259 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
25263 Improved anti-spam features.
25265 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
25266 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
25267 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
25268 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
25269 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
25272 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
25275 Face headers handling.
25278 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
25279 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
25282 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
25285 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
25287 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
25288 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
25289 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
25290 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
25291 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
25292 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
25293 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
25294 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
25295 when getting new mail, remove the function.
25298 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
25300 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
25301 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
25302 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
25303 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
25304 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
25305 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
25306 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
25307 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
25308 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
25309 was inserted directly.
25312 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
25314 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
25315 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
25321 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
25322 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
25323 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
25324 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
25325 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
25326 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
25327 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
25328 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
25329 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
25330 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
25331 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
25332 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
25333 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
25334 is not needed any more.
25337 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
25339 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
25340 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
25341 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
25342 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
25343 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
25347 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
25349 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
25350 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
25353 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
25355 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
25356 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
25357 lisp directory into load-path.
25359 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
25360 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
25363 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
25365 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
25368 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
25370 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
25371 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
25372 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
25373 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
25376 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
25378 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
25380 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
25381 'bbdb-complete-name)
25385 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
25387 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
25388 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
25389 local files as external parts.
25391 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
25392 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
25393 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
25394 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
25395 that support editing.
25398 @code{gnus-default-charset}
25400 The default value is determined from the
25401 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
25402 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
25403 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
25406 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
25408 Add a new format of match like
25410 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
25411 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25413 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
25415 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
25416 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25420 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
25422 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
25423 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
25424 need add those two headers too.
25427 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
25429 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
25430 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
25431 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
25434 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
25435 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
25436 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
25440 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
25442 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
25445 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
25447 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
25450 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
25452 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
25453 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
25454 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
25457 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
25459 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
25463 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
25465 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
25466 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
25467 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
25468 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
25469 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
25470 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
25471 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
25472 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
25475 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
25477 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
25478 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
25479 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
25480 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
25481 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
25484 Extended format specs.
25486 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
25487 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
25488 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
25489 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
25490 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
25491 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
25494 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
25496 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
25497 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
25498 out other articles.
25500 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
25502 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
25503 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
25504 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
25505 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
25508 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
25510 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
25511 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
25512 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
25515 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
25517 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
25518 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
25519 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
25520 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
25521 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
25522 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
25523 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
25524 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
25525 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
25526 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
25527 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
25530 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
25531 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
25534 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
25535 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
25536 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
25537 message, Message Manual}).
25540 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
25541 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
25543 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
25544 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
25545 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
25547 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
25551 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
25552 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
25554 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
25555 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
25556 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
25557 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
25560 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
25563 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
25566 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
25567 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
25570 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
25572 The behaviour for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
25573 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
25574 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
25575 invalidate the digital signature.
25582 @section The Manual
25586 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
25587 either @code{texi2dvi}
25589 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
25590 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
25592 to get what you hold in your hands now.
25594 The following conventions have been used:
25599 This is a @samp{string}
25602 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
25605 This is a @file{file}
25608 This is a @code{symbol}
25612 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
25616 (setq flargnoze "yes")
25619 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
25622 (setq flumphel 'yes)
25625 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
25626 ever get them confused.
25630 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
25631 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
25632 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
25633 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
25634 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
25635 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
25636 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
25642 @node On Writing Manuals
25643 @section On Writing Manuals
25645 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
25646 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
25647 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
25648 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
25649 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
25650 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
25653 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
25654 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
25655 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
25658 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
25659 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
25664 @section Terminology
25666 @cindex terminology
25671 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
25672 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
25673 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
25674 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
25675 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
25679 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
25680 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
25681 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
25682 not posting, and replying is not following up.
25686 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
25690 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
25695 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
25696 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
25697 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
25698 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
25699 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
25700 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
25701 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
25702 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
25703 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
25706 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
25707 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
25708 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
25709 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
25710 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
25711 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
25713 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
25714 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
25715 access the articles.
25717 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
25718 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
25719 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
25724 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
25725 default, way of getting news.
25729 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
25730 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
25735 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
25736 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
25740 A message that has been posted as news.
25743 @cindex mail message
25744 A message that has been mailed.
25748 A mail message or news article
25752 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
25757 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
25762 A line from the head of an article.
25766 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
25767 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
25769 @item @acronym{NOV}
25770 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
25771 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
25772 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
25773 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
25774 normal @sc{head} format.
25778 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
25779 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
25780 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
25781 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
25782 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
25783 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
25785 @item killed groups
25786 @cindex killed groups
25787 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
25788 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
25790 @item zombie groups
25791 @cindex zombie groups
25792 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
25795 @cindex active file
25796 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
25797 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
25798 is rather large, as you might surmise.
25801 @cindex bogus groups
25802 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
25803 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
25804 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
25807 @cindex activating groups
25808 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
25809 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
25810 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
25814 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
25816 @item select method
25817 @cindex select method
25818 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
25821 @item virtual server
25822 @cindex virtual server
25823 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
25824 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
25825 whole is a virtual server.
25829 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
25830 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
25833 @item ephemeral groups
25834 @cindex ephemeral groups
25835 @cindex temporary groups
25836 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
25837 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
25838 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
25841 @cindex solid groups
25842 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
25843 group buffer are solid groups.
25845 @item sparse articles
25846 @cindex sparse articles
25847 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
25848 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
25852 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
25853 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
25857 @cindex thread root
25858 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
25859 articles in the thread.
25863 An article that has responses.
25867 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
25871 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
25872 specified by RFC 1153.
25875 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
25876 @cindex mail sorting
25877 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
25878 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
25879 incorrectly called mail filtering.
25885 @node Customization
25886 @section Customization
25887 @cindex general customization
25889 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
25890 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
25891 for some quite common situations.
25894 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
25895 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
25896 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
25897 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
25901 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
25902 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
25904 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
25905 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
25906 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
25910 @item gnus-read-active-file
25911 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
25912 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
25913 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25914 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
25915 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
25917 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
25918 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
25919 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
25920 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
25924 @node Slow Terminal Connection
25925 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
25927 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
25928 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
25929 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
25933 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
25934 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
25935 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
25936 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
25937 horizontal and vertical recentering.
25939 @item gnus-visible-headers
25940 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
25941 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
25942 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
25943 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
25945 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
25947 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
25948 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
25949 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
25952 @item gnus-use-full-window
25953 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
25954 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
25955 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
25956 want to read them anyway.
25958 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
25959 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
25963 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
25964 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
25965 lines, which might save some time.
25969 @node Little Disk Space
25970 @subsection Little Disk Space
25973 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
25974 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
25978 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
25979 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
25980 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25981 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25984 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
25985 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
25986 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25987 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25990 @item gnus-save-killed-list
25991 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
25992 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
25993 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
25994 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
26000 @subsection Slow Machine
26001 @cindex slow machine
26003 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
26004 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
26006 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26007 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
26009 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
26010 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
26011 summary buffer faster.
26015 @node Troubleshooting
26016 @section Troubleshooting
26017 @cindex troubleshooting
26019 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
26027 Make sure your computer is switched on.
26030 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
26031 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26035 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26036 like @samp{T-gnus 6.16.* (based on Gnus v5.10.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
26037 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
26038 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
26039 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26042 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26043 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26046 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26047 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26048 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26049 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26050 something like that.
26053 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26056 @cindex reporting bugs
26058 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26060 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26061 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26062 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26063 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26065 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26066 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26067 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26068 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26071 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26072 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26073 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26074 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26075 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26076 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26078 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26079 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26080 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26084 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26085 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26088 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26089 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26090 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26091 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26092 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26093 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26094 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26095 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26096 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26097 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26098 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26099 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26100 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26101 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26106 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26107 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26108 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26109 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26110 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26112 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26113 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26114 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26115 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26116 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26117 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26118 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26119 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26120 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26121 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26122 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26123 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26124 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26127 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26128 @cindex ding mailing list
26129 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26130 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26131 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26132 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26136 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26137 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26139 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26140 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26141 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26142 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26145 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26146 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26147 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26148 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26149 and general methods of operation.
26152 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26153 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26154 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26155 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26156 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26157 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26158 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26159 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26160 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26164 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26165 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26166 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26167 @cindex utility functions
26169 @cindex internal variables
26171 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26172 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26173 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26177 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26178 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26179 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26181 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26182 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26183 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26185 @item gnus-group-real-name
26186 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26187 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26190 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26191 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26192 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
26193 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
26195 @item gnus-get-info
26196 @findex gnus-get-info
26197 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
26199 @item gnus-group-unread
26200 @findex gnus-group-unread
26201 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
26205 @findex gnus-active
26206 The active entry for @var{group}.
26208 @item gnus-set-active
26209 @findex gnus-set-active
26210 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
26212 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26213 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26214 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
26217 @item gnus-continuum-version
26218 @findex gnus-continuum-version
26219 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
26220 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
26223 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
26224 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
26225 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
26227 @item gnus-news-group-p
26228 @findex gnus-news-group-p
26229 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
26231 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26232 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26233 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
26235 @item gnus-server-to-method
26236 @findex gnus-server-to-method
26237 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
26239 @item gnus-server-equal
26240 @findex gnus-server-equal
26241 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
26243 @item gnus-group-native-p
26244 @findex gnus-group-native-p
26245 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
26247 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
26248 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
26249 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
26251 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
26252 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
26253 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
26255 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
26256 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
26257 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
26258 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
26260 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
26261 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
26262 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
26264 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
26265 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
26266 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
26268 @item gnus-check-backend-function
26269 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
26270 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
26271 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
26274 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
26278 @item gnus-read-method
26279 @findex gnus-read-method
26280 Prompts the user for a select method.
26285 @node Back End Interface
26286 @subsection Back End Interface
26288 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
26289 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
26290 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
26291 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
26292 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
26293 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
26295 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
26296 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
26297 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
26298 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
26299 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
26300 been opened, the function should fail.
26302 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
26303 name. Take this example:
26307 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
26308 (nntp-port-number 4324))
26311 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
26312 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
26314 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
26315 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
26316 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
26318 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
26319 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
26320 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
26322 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
26323 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
26324 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
26325 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
26326 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
26327 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
26330 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
26331 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
26332 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
26333 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
26336 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
26337 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
26338 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
26339 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
26340 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
26341 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
26342 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
26343 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
26344 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
26345 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
26347 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
26348 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
26349 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
26350 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
26351 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
26352 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
26353 of numbers as long as possible.
26355 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
26356 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
26357 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
26359 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
26362 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
26365 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
26366 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
26367 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
26368 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
26369 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
26370 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
26374 @node Required Back End Functions
26375 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
26379 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
26381 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
26382 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
26383 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
26384 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
26386 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
26387 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
26388 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
26389 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
26391 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
26392 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
26393 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
26394 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
26395 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
26396 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
26397 number, do maximum fetches.
26399 Here's an example HEAD:
26402 221 1056 Article retrieved.
26403 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
26404 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
26405 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
26406 Subject: Re: Something very droll
26407 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
26408 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
26410 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
26411 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
26412 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
26416 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
26417 these in the data buffer.
26419 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
26423 head = error / valid-head
26424 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
26425 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
26426 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
26427 header = <text> eol
26431 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
26433 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
26434 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
26438 nov-buffer = *nov-line
26439 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
26440 field = <text except TAB>
26443 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
26447 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
26449 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
26450 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
26452 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
26453 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
26454 server. In fact, it should do so.
26456 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
26457 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
26460 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
26462 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
26463 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
26466 There should be no data returned.
26469 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
26471 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
26472 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
26473 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
26474 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
26476 There should be no data returned.
26479 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
26481 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
26482 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
26483 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
26484 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
26486 There should be no data returned.
26489 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
26491 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
26493 There should be no data returned.
26496 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
26498 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
26499 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
26500 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
26501 it would be nice if that were possible.
26503 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
26504 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
26505 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
26506 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
26507 into its article buffer.
26509 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
26510 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
26511 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
26512 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
26513 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
26514 on successful article retrieval.
26517 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
26519 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
26520 making @var{group} the current group.
26522 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
26525 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
26528 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
26531 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
26532 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
26533 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
26534 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
26535 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
26536 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
26537 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
26538 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
26539 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
26543 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
26544 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
26545 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
26549 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26551 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
26552 a no-op on most back ends.
26554 There should be no data returned.
26557 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
26559 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
26562 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
26565 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
26566 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
26569 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
26570 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
26571 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
26572 and the highest as 0.
26575 active-file = *active-line
26576 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
26578 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
26581 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
26582 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
26583 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
26586 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
26588 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
26589 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
26590 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
26591 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
26592 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
26593 clear if the posting could not be completed.
26595 There should be no result data from this function.
26600 @node Optional Back End Functions
26601 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
26605 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
26607 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
26608 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
26609 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
26611 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
26612 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
26613 former is in the same format as the data from
26614 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
26615 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
26618 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
26622 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
26624 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
26625 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
26626 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
26627 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
26628 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
26630 There should be no result data from this function.
26633 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
26635 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
26636 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
26637 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
26638 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
26639 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
26640 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
26641 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
26642 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
26644 There should be no result data from this function.
26647 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
26649 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
26650 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
26651 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
26652 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
26653 propagate the mark information to the server.
26655 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
26658 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
26661 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
26662 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
26663 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
26664 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
26665 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
26666 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
26667 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
26668 possible, not limit itself to these.
26670 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
26671 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
26672 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
26673 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
26675 An example action list:
26678 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
26679 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
26680 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
26683 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
26684 mark on (currently not used for anything).
26686 There should be no result data from this function.
26688 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
26690 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
26691 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
26692 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
26693 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
26694 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
26696 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
26697 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
26698 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
26701 There should be no result data from this function.
26704 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
26706 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
26707 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
26708 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
26709 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
26710 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
26711 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
26712 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
26713 local if that's practical.
26715 There should be no result data from this function.
26718 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
26720 The result data from this function should be a description of
26724 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
26726 description = <text>
26729 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
26731 The result data from this function should be the description of all
26732 groups available on the server.
26735 description-buffer = *description-line
26739 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
26741 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
26742 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
26743 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
26744 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
26745 in the active buffer format.
26747 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
26748 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
26749 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
26750 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
26751 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
26752 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
26753 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
26756 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26758 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
26760 There should be no return data.
26763 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
26765 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
26766 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
26767 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
26768 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
26769 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
26772 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
26775 There should be no result data returned.
26778 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
26780 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
26781 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
26783 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
26784 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
26785 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
26786 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
26787 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
26788 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
26790 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
26791 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
26794 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26795 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26797 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
26798 article for that group.
26800 There should be no data returned.
26803 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
26805 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
26806 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
26807 this function in short order.
26809 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26810 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26812 There should be no data returned.
26815 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
26817 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
26818 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
26820 There should be no data returned.
26823 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
26825 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
26826 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
26827 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
26829 There should be no data returned.
26832 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
26834 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
26835 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
26837 There should be no data returned.
26842 @node Error Messaging
26843 @subsubsection Error Messaging
26845 @findex nnheader-report
26846 @findex nnheader-get-report
26847 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
26848 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
26849 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
26850 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
26851 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
26852 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
26855 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
26857 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
26860 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
26861 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
26862 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
26863 takes one argument---the server symbol.
26865 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
26866 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
26867 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
26870 @node Writing New Back Ends
26871 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
26873 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
26874 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
26875 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
26876 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
26877 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
26880 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
26881 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
26882 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
26884 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
26885 package called @code{nnoo}.
26887 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
26888 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
26894 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
26895 parameters. For instance:
26898 (nnoo-declare nndir
26902 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
26903 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
26906 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
26907 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
26908 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
26910 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
26911 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
26912 a function in those back ends.
26915 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26916 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26917 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26920 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
26921 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
26922 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
26924 @item nnoo-define-basics
26925 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
26929 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26933 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
26934 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
26935 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
26937 @item nnoo-map-functions
26938 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
26939 functions from the parent back ends.
26942 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26943 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26944 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
26947 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
26948 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
26949 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
26950 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
26953 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
26954 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
26955 haven't already been defined.
26961 nnmh-request-newgroups)
26965 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
26966 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
26967 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
26972 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
26975 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
26976 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
26980 (require 'nnheader)
26984 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
26986 (nnoo-declare nndir
26989 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26990 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26991 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26993 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
26994 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
26997 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
26999 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
27000 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
27001 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
27003 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
27004 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
27006 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
27008 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27010 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
27011 (setq nndir-directory
27012 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
27014 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
27015 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
27016 (push `(nndir-current-group
27017 ,(file-name-nondirectory
27018 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27020 (push `(nndir-top-directory
27021 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27023 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
27025 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27026 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27027 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27028 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
27029 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
27033 nnmh-status-message
27035 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27041 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27042 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27044 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27045 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27046 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27047 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27048 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27050 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27051 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27056 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27059 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27061 The abilities can be:
27065 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27067 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27069 This back end supports both mail and news.
27071 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27074 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27075 articles and groups.
27077 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27078 true for almost all back ends.
27079 @item prompt-address
27080 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27081 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27082 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27086 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27087 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27089 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27090 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27091 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27092 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27095 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27096 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27097 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27100 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27101 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27104 This function takes four parameters.
27108 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27111 @item exit-function
27112 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27114 @item temp-directory
27115 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27118 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27119 performed for one group only.
27122 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27123 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27124 find the article number assigned to this article.
27126 The function also uses the following variables:
27127 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27128 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27129 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27130 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27134 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27135 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27139 @node Score File Syntax
27140 @subsection Score File Syntax
27142 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27143 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27144 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27146 Here's a typical score file:
27150 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27157 BNF definition of a score file:
27160 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27161 element = rule / atom
27162 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27163 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27164 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27165 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27167 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27168 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27169 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27170 date-header = "date"
27171 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27172 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27173 score = "nil" / <integer>
27174 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27175 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27176 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27177 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27178 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27179 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27180 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27181 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27182 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27183 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27184 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27185 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27186 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27187 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27188 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27189 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27190 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27191 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27192 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
27193 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
27194 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
27195 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
27196 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
27197 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
27198 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
27199 eval = "eval" space <form>
27200 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
27203 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
27206 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
27207 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
27208 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
27209 one looong line, then that's ok.
27211 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
27212 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27216 @subsection Headers
27218 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
27219 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
27220 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
27221 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
27223 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
27224 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
27225 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
27226 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
27227 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
27228 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
27229 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
27231 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
27232 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
27233 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
27234 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
27235 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
27237 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
27238 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
27244 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
27245 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
27247 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
27248 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
27249 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
27250 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
27252 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
27256 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
27259 is transformed into
27262 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
27265 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
27266 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
27269 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
27272 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
27273 is slightly tricky:
27276 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
27282 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
27285 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
27291 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
27298 and is equal to the previous range.
27300 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
27301 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
27302 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
27306 range = simple-range / normal-range
27307 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
27308 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
27309 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
27310 number *[ " " contents ]
27313 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
27314 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
27315 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
27316 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
27317 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
27322 @subsection Group Info
27324 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
27325 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
27326 describes the group.
27328 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
27329 second is a more complex one:
27332 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
27334 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
27335 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
27337 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
27340 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
27341 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
27342 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
27343 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
27344 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
27345 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
27346 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
27347 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
27348 this section is about.
27350 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
27351 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
27352 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
27354 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
27357 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
27358 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
27359 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27360 group = quote <string> quote
27361 ralevel = rank / level
27362 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27363 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
27364 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27366 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
27367 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
27368 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
27369 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
27372 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
27373 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
27376 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
27377 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
27380 @item gnus-info-group
27381 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
27382 @findex gnus-info-group
27383 @findex gnus-info-set-group
27384 Get/set the group name.
27386 @item gnus-info-rank
27387 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
27388 @findex gnus-info-rank
27389 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
27390 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
27392 @item gnus-info-level
27393 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
27394 @findex gnus-info-level
27395 @findex gnus-info-set-level
27396 Get/set the group level.
27398 @item gnus-info-score
27399 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
27400 @findex gnus-info-score
27401 @findex gnus-info-set-score
27402 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
27404 @item gnus-info-read
27405 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
27406 @findex gnus-info-read
27407 @findex gnus-info-set-read
27408 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
27410 @item gnus-info-marks
27411 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
27412 @findex gnus-info-marks
27413 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
27414 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
27416 @item gnus-info-method
27417 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
27418 @findex gnus-info-method
27419 @findex gnus-info-set-method
27420 Get/set the group select method.
27422 @item gnus-info-params
27423 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
27424 @findex gnus-info-params
27425 @findex gnus-info-set-params
27426 Get/set the group parameters.
27429 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
27430 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
27432 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
27433 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
27434 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
27435 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
27438 @node Extended Interactive
27439 @subsection Extended Interactive
27440 @cindex interactive
27441 @findex gnus-interactive
27443 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
27444 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
27445 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
27448 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
27449 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
27454 The best thing to do would have been to implement
27455 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
27456 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
27457 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
27458 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
27459 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
27460 @code{interactive}.
27462 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
27467 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
27468 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
27472 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
27473 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
27474 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
27477 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
27481 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
27485 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
27491 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
27492 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
27496 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
27497 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
27498 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
27500 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
27501 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
27502 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
27503 Gnus, that's very useful.
27505 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
27506 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
27507 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
27508 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
27509 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
27510 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
27511 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
27512 following function:
27515 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
27519 (,function ,@@args))
27523 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
27524 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
27525 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
27528 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
27529 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
27530 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
27532 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
27533 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
27534 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
27537 @node Various File Formats
27538 @subsection Various File Formats
27541 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
27542 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
27546 @node Active File Format
27547 @subsubsection Active File Format
27549 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
27550 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
27553 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
27556 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
27557 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
27558 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
27559 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
27560 no.general 1000 900 y
27563 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
27566 active = *group-line
27567 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
27568 group = <non-white-space string>
27570 high-number = <non-negative integer>
27571 low-number = <positive integer>
27572 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
27575 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
27576 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
27579 @node Newsgroups File Format
27580 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
27582 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
27583 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
27584 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
27587 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
27588 Here's the definition:
27592 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
27593 group = <non-white-space string>
27595 description = <string>
27600 @node Emacs for Heathens
27601 @section Emacs for Heathens
27603 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
27604 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
27605 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
27606 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
27607 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
27608 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
27609 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
27613 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
27614 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
27619 @subsection Keystrokes
27623 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
27626 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
27629 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
27630 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
27631 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
27632 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
27633 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
27634 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
27636 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
27637 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
27638 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
27639 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
27640 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
27641 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
27642 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
27644 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
27645 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
27646 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
27647 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
27648 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
27649 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
27650 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
27652 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
27653 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
27654 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
27655 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
27656 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
27662 @subsection Emacs Lisp
27664 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
27665 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
27666 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
27667 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
27669 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
27670 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
27671 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
27672 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
27673 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
27674 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
27675 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
27678 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
27679 write the following:
27682 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
27685 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
27686 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
27687 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
27690 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
27691 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
27692 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
27693 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
27694 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
27696 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
27697 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
27698 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
27702 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
27706 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
27709 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
27710 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
27713 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
27716 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
27717 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
27720 @include gnus-faq.texi
27740 @c Local Variables:
27742 @c coding: iso-8859-1