4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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281 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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290 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
291 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
294 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
295 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
296 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
297 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
298 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
299 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
300 License'' in the Emacs manual.
302 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
303 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
304 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
306 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
307 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
308 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
309 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
317 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
319 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
320 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
322 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
323 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
324 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
325 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
326 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
327 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
328 License'' in the Emacs manual.
330 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
331 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
332 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
334 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
335 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
336 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
337 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
343 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
345 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
349 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
350 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
352 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
353 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
354 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
355 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
356 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
357 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
358 License'' in the Emacs manual.
360 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
361 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
362 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
364 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
365 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
366 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
367 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
376 @top The gnus Newsreader
380 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
381 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
382 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
385 T-gnus provides @sc{mime} features based on @sc{semi} API. So T-gnus
386 supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
387 other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
388 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
389 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
390 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
392 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
403 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
404 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
406 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
407 being accused of plagiarism:
409 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
410 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
411 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
412 can even read news with it!
414 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
415 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
416 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
417 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
418 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
424 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
425 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
426 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
427 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
428 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
429 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
430 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
431 * Various:: General purpose settings.
432 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
433 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
434 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
435 * Key Index:: Key Index.
438 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
442 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
443 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
444 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
445 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
446 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
447 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
448 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
449 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
450 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
451 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
452 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
456 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
457 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
458 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
462 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
463 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
464 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
465 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
466 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
467 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
468 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
469 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
470 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
471 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
472 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
473 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
474 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
475 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
476 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
477 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
478 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
482 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
483 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
484 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
488 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
489 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
490 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
491 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
492 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
496 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
497 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
498 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
499 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
500 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
504 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
505 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
506 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
507 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
508 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
510 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
511 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
512 * Threading:: How threads are made.
513 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
514 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
515 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
516 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
517 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
518 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
519 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
520 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
521 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
522 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
523 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
524 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
525 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
526 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
527 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
528 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
529 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
530 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
531 or reselecting the current group.
532 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
533 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
534 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
535 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
537 Summary Buffer Format
539 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
540 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
541 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
542 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
546 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
547 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
549 Reply, Followup and Post
551 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
552 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
553 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
554 * Canceling and Superseding::
558 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
559 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
560 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
562 * Generic Marking Commands::
563 * Setting Process Marks::
567 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
568 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
569 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
573 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
574 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
576 Customizing Threading
578 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
579 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
580 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
581 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
585 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
586 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
587 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
588 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
589 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
590 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
594 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
595 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
596 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
600 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
601 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
602 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
603 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
604 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
605 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
606 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
607 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
608 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
609 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
611 Alternative Approaches
613 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
614 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
616 Various Summary Stuff
618 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
619 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
620 * Summary Generation Commands::
621 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
625 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
626 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
627 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
628 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
629 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
633 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
634 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
635 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
636 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
637 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
638 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
639 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
640 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
644 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
645 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
646 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
647 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
648 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
649 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
650 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
651 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
655 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
656 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
657 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
658 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
659 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
660 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
661 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
665 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
666 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
670 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
671 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
672 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
676 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
677 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
678 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
679 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
680 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
681 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
682 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
683 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
684 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
685 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
686 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
687 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
688 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
692 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
693 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
694 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
696 Choosing a Mail Back End
698 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
699 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
700 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
701 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
702 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
703 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
708 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
709 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
710 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
711 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
712 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
713 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
717 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
718 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
719 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
723 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
724 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
725 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
726 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
727 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
731 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
735 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
736 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
737 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
741 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
742 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
746 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
747 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
748 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
749 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
750 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
751 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
752 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
753 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
754 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
755 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
756 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
760 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
761 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
762 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
766 * Group Agent Commands::
767 * Summary Agent Commands::
768 * Server Agent Commands::
772 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
773 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
774 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
775 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
776 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
777 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
778 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
779 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
780 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
781 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
782 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
783 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
784 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
785 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
786 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
787 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
788 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
792 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
793 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
794 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
795 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
799 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
800 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
801 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
805 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
806 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
807 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
808 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
809 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
810 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
811 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
812 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
813 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
814 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
815 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
816 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
817 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
818 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
819 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
820 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
821 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
822 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
823 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
827 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
828 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
829 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
830 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
831 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
832 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
833 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
834 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
838 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
839 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
840 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
841 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
842 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
846 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
847 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
848 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
849 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
850 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
854 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
855 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
856 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
860 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
861 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
862 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
863 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
864 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
865 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
866 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
867 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
868 * Frequently Asked Questions::
872 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
873 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
874 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
875 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
876 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
877 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
878 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
879 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
880 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
884 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
885 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
886 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
887 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
888 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
892 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
893 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
894 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
895 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
899 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
900 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
901 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
902 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
903 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
904 * Group Info:: The group info format.
905 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
906 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
907 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
911 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
912 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
913 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
914 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
915 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
916 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
920 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
921 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
925 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
926 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
932 @chapter Starting gnus
937 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
938 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
941 @findex gnus-other-frame
942 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
943 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
944 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
946 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
947 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
948 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
950 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
951 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
954 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
955 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
956 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
957 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
958 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
959 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
960 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
961 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
962 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
963 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
964 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
968 @node Finding the News
969 @section Finding the News
972 @vindex gnus-select-method
974 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
975 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
976 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
977 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
980 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
981 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
984 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
987 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
990 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
993 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
994 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
995 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
997 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
999 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1000 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1001 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1002 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1003 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1004 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1006 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1007 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1008 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1009 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1011 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1012 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1013 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1014 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1015 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1016 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1017 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1018 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1019 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1022 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1024 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1025 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1026 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1027 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1028 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1029 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1031 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1033 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1034 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1035 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1036 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1037 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1038 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1041 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1042 you would typically set this variable to
1045 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1049 @node The First Time
1050 @section The First Time
1051 @cindex first time usage
1053 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1054 be subscribed by default.
1056 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1057 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1058 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1059 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1062 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1063 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1064 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1066 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1067 help you with most common problems.
1069 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1070 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1074 @node The Server is Down
1075 @section The Server is Down
1076 @cindex server errors
1078 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1079 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1080 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1082 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1083 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1084 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1085 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1086 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1087 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1088 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1090 @findex gnus-no-server
1091 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1093 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1094 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1095 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1096 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1097 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1098 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1099 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1103 @section Slave Gnusae
1106 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1107 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1108 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1109 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1111 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1112 @code{.newsrc} file.
1114 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1115 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1116 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1117 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1118 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1119 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1120 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1122 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1123 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1124 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1125 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1126 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1127 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1128 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1129 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1131 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1132 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1134 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1135 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1136 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1137 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1138 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1140 @node Fetching a Group
1141 @section Fetching a Group
1142 @cindex fetching a group
1144 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1145 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1146 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1147 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1148 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1149 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1155 @cindex subscription
1157 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1158 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1159 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1160 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1161 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1162 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1163 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1164 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1165 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1168 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1169 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1170 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1174 @node Checking New Groups
1175 @subsection Checking New Groups
1177 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1178 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1179 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1180 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1181 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1182 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1183 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1184 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1185 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1186 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1188 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1189 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1190 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1191 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1192 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1193 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1194 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1195 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1196 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1197 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1198 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1200 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1201 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1202 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1203 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1204 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1205 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1208 @node Subscription Methods
1209 @subsection Subscription Methods
1211 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1212 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1213 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1215 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1216 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1218 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1222 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1223 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1224 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1225 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1226 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1228 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1229 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1230 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1231 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1233 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1235 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1239 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1240 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1241 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1242 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1243 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1244 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1245 up. Or something like that.
1247 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1248 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1249 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1250 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1251 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1253 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1254 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1255 Kill all new groups.
1257 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1258 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1259 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1260 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1261 topic parameter that looks like
1267 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1270 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1275 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1276 A closely related variable is
1277 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1278 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1279 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1280 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1283 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1284 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1285 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1286 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1289 @node Filtering New Groups
1290 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1292 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1293 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1294 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1297 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1300 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1301 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1302 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1303 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1304 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1305 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1306 subscribing these groups.
1307 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1308 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1310 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1311 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1312 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1313 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1314 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1315 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1316 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1317 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1319 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1320 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1321 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1322 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1323 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1324 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1325 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1326 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1327 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1328 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1331 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1332 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1335 @node Changing Servers
1336 @section Changing Servers
1337 @cindex changing servers
1339 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1340 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1341 very flaky and you want to use another.
1343 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1344 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1348 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1349 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1350 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1351 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1354 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1355 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1356 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1357 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1359 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1360 @findex gnus-change-server
1361 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1362 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1363 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1364 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1365 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1367 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1368 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1369 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1370 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1371 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1373 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1374 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1375 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1376 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1377 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1378 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1380 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1381 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1382 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1383 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1385 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1386 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1387 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1388 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1389 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1390 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1391 cache for all groups).
1395 @section Startup Files
1396 @cindex startup files
1401 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1402 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1404 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1405 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1406 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1407 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1408 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1409 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1410 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1412 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1413 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1414 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1415 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1416 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1417 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1419 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1420 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1421 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1422 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1423 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1424 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1425 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1426 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1427 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1428 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1430 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1431 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1432 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1433 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1434 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1435 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1436 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1437 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1438 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1439 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1440 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1441 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1443 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1444 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1445 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1446 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1448 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1449 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1450 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1451 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1452 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1453 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1454 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1455 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1456 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1457 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1460 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1461 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1463 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1464 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1467 @vindex gnus-init-file
1468 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1469 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1470 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1471 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1472 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1473 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1474 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1475 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1476 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1482 @cindex dribble file
1485 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1486 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1487 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1488 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1489 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1492 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1493 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1496 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1497 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1498 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1500 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1501 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1502 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1503 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1504 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1505 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1507 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1508 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1509 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1512 @node The Active File
1513 @section The Active File
1515 @cindex ignored groups
1517 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1518 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1519 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1521 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1522 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1523 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1524 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1525 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1526 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1527 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1530 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1531 @c if you set it to anything else.
1533 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1535 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1536 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1537 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1539 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1540 you actually subscribe to.
1542 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1543 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1544 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1545 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1547 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1548 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1549 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1550 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1551 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1552 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1554 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1555 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1556 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1559 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1560 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1561 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1562 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1563 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1564 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1566 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1567 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1569 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1570 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1572 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1573 secondary select methods.
1576 @node Startup Variables
1577 @section Startup Variables
1581 @item gnus-load-hook
1582 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1583 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1584 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1585 times you start gnus.
1587 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1588 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1589 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1591 @item gnus-startup-hook
1592 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1593 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1595 @item gnus-started-hook
1596 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1597 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1600 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1601 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1602 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1603 generating the group buffer.
1605 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1606 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1607 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1608 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1609 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1610 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1611 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1612 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1614 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1615 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1616 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1617 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1618 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1619 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1621 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1622 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1623 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1625 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1626 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1627 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1629 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1630 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1631 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1632 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1638 @chapter Group Buffer
1639 @cindex group buffer
1641 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1643 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1644 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1645 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1646 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1647 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1648 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1649 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1650 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1651 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1652 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1653 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1654 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1655 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1656 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1657 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1658 @c human rights at 9...
1661 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1662 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1663 long as gnus is active.
1667 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1668 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1669 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1670 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1671 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1672 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1673 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1674 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1680 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1681 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1682 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1683 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1684 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1685 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1686 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1687 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1688 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1689 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1690 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1691 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1692 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1693 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1694 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1695 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1696 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1700 @node Group Buffer Format
1701 @section Group Buffer Format
1704 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1705 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1706 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1710 @node Group Line Specification
1711 @subsection Group Line Specification
1712 @cindex group buffer format
1714 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1715 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1717 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1720 25: news.announce.newusers
1721 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1726 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1727 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1728 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1729 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1731 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1732 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1733 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1734 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1735 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1736 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1738 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1740 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1741 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1742 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1743 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1744 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1746 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1747 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1748 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1750 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1755 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1758 Whether the group is subscribed.
1761 Level of subscribedness.
1764 Number of unread articles.
1767 Number of dormant articles.
1770 Number of ticked articles.
1773 Number of read articles.
1776 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1777 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1779 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1780 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1781 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1782 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1783 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1784 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1785 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1786 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1789 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1792 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1801 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1802 comment element in the group parameters.
1805 Newsgroup description.
1808 @samp{m} if moderated.
1811 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1820 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1824 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1827 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1828 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1829 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1830 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1831 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1834 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1836 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1840 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1843 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1847 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1848 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1849 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1850 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1851 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1852 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1857 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1858 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1859 group, or a bogus native group.
1862 @node Group Modeline Specification
1863 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1864 @cindex group modeline
1866 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1867 The mode line can be changed by setting
1868 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1869 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1873 The native news server.
1875 The native select method.
1879 @node Group Highlighting
1880 @subsection Group Highlighting
1881 @cindex highlighting
1882 @cindex group highlighting
1884 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1885 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1886 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1887 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1888 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1890 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1894 (cond (window-system
1895 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1896 (defface my-group-face-1
1897 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1898 (defface my-group-face-2
1899 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1900 (defface my-group-face-3
1901 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1902 (defface my-group-face-4
1903 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1904 (defface my-group-face-5
1905 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1907 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1908 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1909 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1910 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1911 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1912 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1915 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1917 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1924 The number of unread articles in the group.
1928 Whether the group is a mail group.
1930 The level of the group.
1932 The score of the group.
1934 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1936 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1937 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1939 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1940 topic being inserted.
1943 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1944 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1945 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1947 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1948 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1949 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1950 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1951 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1954 @node Group Maneuvering
1955 @section Group Maneuvering
1956 @cindex group movement
1958 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1959 expected, hopefully.
1965 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1966 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1967 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1973 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1974 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1975 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1979 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1980 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1984 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1985 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1989 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1990 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1991 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1995 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1996 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1997 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2000 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2006 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2007 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2008 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2013 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2014 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2015 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2019 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2020 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2021 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2024 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2025 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2026 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2027 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2031 @node Selecting a Group
2032 @section Selecting a Group
2033 @cindex group selection
2038 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2039 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2040 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2041 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2042 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2043 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2044 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2045 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2046 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2047 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2049 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2050 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2051 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2053 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2054 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2059 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2060 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2061 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2062 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2063 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2067 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2068 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2069 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2070 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2071 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2072 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2073 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2074 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2075 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2076 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2079 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2080 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2081 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2082 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2083 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2086 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2087 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2088 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2089 doing any processing of its contents
2090 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2091 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2092 manner will have no permanent effects.
2096 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2097 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2098 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2099 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2100 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2101 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2102 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2103 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2106 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2107 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2108 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2109 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2110 Which article this is is controlled by the
2111 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2117 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2120 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2123 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2125 @item unseen-or-unread
2126 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2127 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2131 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2135 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2136 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2138 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2139 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2140 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2141 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2145 @node Subscription Commands
2146 @section Subscription Commands
2147 @cindex subscription
2155 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2156 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2157 Toggle subscription to the current group
2158 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2164 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2165 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2166 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2167 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2173 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2174 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2175 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2181 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2182 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2185 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2186 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2187 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2188 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2189 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2195 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2196 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2200 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2201 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2204 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2205 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2206 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2207 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2208 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2209 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2210 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2211 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2212 @file{.newsrc} file.
2216 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2226 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2227 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2228 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2229 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2230 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2231 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2236 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2237 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2238 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2242 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2243 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2244 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2246 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2247 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2248 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2249 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2250 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2251 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2258 @section Group Levels
2262 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2263 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2264 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2265 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2266 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2268 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2274 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2275 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2276 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2277 prompted for a level.
2280 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2281 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2282 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2283 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2284 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2285 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2286 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2287 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2288 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2289 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2290 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2291 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2292 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2293 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2294 reasons of efficiency.
2296 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2297 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2299 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2300 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2301 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2302 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2303 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2304 groups are hidden, in a way.
2306 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2307 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2308 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2309 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2310 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2311 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2313 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2314 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2315 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2316 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2317 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2318 list of killed groups.)
2320 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2321 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2322 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2324 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2325 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2326 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2327 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2328 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2329 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2330 relevant valid ranges.
2332 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2333 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2334 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2335 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2336 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2337 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2340 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2341 one with the best level.
2343 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2344 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2345 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2348 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2349 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2350 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2351 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2354 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2355 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2356 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2357 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2359 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2360 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2361 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2362 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2363 to 5. The default is 6.
2367 @section Group Score
2372 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2373 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2374 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2377 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2378 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2379 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2380 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2381 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2382 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2383 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2384 least significant part.))
2386 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2387 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2388 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2389 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2390 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2391 action after each summary exit, you can add
2392 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2393 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2394 slow things down somewhat.
2397 @node Marking Groups
2398 @section Marking Groups
2399 @cindex marking groups
2401 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2402 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2403 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2404 bidding on those groups.
2406 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2407 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2408 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2416 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2417 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2423 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2424 Remove the mark from the current group
2425 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2429 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2430 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2434 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2435 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2439 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2440 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2444 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2445 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2446 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2449 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2451 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2452 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2453 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2454 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2455 the command to be executed.
2458 @node Foreign Groups
2459 @section Foreign Groups
2460 @cindex foreign groups
2462 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2463 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2464 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2465 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2472 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2473 @cindex making groups
2474 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2475 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2476 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2480 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2481 @cindex renaming groups
2482 Rename the current group to something else
2483 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2484 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2490 @findex gnus-group-customize
2491 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2496 @cindex renaming groups
2497 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2498 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2502 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2503 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2504 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2508 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2509 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2510 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2514 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2516 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2517 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2522 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2523 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2527 @cindex (ding) archive
2528 @cindex archive group
2529 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2530 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2531 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2532 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2533 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2534 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2535 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2539 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2541 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2542 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2543 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2544 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2548 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2550 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2551 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2552 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2556 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2557 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2559 Make a group based on some file or other
2560 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2561 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2562 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2563 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2564 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2565 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2566 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2567 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2568 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2572 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2573 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2574 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2575 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2579 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2583 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2584 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2585 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2586 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2587 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2588 @xref{Web Searches}.
2590 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2591 to a particular group by using a match string like
2592 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2595 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2596 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2597 This function will delete the current group
2598 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2599 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2600 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2601 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2602 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2606 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2607 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2608 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2612 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2613 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2614 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2617 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2620 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2621 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2622 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2623 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2624 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2625 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2629 @node Group Parameters
2630 @section Group Parameters
2631 @cindex group parameters
2633 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2634 Here's an example group parameter list:
2637 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2641 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2642 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2643 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2644 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2646 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2647 is an alist of regexps and values.
2649 The following group parameters can be used:
2654 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2657 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2660 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2661 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2662 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2663 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2664 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2666 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2667 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2668 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2669 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2670 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2671 list address instead.
2673 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2677 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2680 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2683 It is totally ignored
2684 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2685 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2687 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2688 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2689 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2690 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2691 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2693 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2694 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2695 sending the message.
2697 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2698 @cindex Mail List Groups
2699 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2700 entering summary buffer.
2702 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2707 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2708 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2709 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2710 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2711 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2712 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2714 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2715 directly uses this group parameter.
2719 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2720 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2721 of whether it has any unread articles.
2723 @item broken-reply-to
2724 @cindex broken-reply-to
2725 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2726 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2727 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2728 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2729 broken behavior. So there!
2733 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2734 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2738 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2739 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2740 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2745 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2746 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2747 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2748 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2749 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2750 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2751 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2752 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2753 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept artciles.
2757 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2758 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2759 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2761 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2764 @cindex total-expire
2765 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2766 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2767 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2768 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2771 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2775 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2776 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2777 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2778 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2779 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2780 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2783 @cindex score file group parameter
2784 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2785 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2786 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2789 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2790 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2791 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2792 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2795 @cindex admin-address
2796 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2797 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2798 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2799 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2803 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2804 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2808 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2811 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2812 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2815 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2819 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2821 Here are some examples:
2825 Display only unread articles.
2828 Display everything except expirable articles.
2830 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2831 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2835 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2836 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2837 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2838 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2839 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2843 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2844 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2845 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2849 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2850 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2851 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2855 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2856 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2857 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2859 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2861 @item ignored-charsets
2862 @cindex ignored-charset
2863 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2864 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2865 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2867 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2870 @cindex posting-style
2871 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2872 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2873 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2874 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2875 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2877 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2878 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2879 like this in the group parameters:
2884 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2889 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2890 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2894 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2895 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2896 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2897 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2898 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2902 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2903 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2904 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2905 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2907 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2908 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2909 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2910 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2913 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2914 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2918 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2921 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2922 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2923 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2924 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2925 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2926 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2927 @code{eval}ed there.
2929 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2930 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2931 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2932 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2933 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2934 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2935 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2936 parameters for the group.
2939 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2940 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2941 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2942 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2943 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2947 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2948 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2949 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2950 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2951 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2953 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2954 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2958 (setq gnus-parameters
2960 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2961 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2962 (gnus-summary-line-format
2963 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2967 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2971 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2975 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2978 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2979 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2982 @node Listing Groups
2983 @section Listing Groups
2984 @cindex group listing
2986 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2994 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2995 List all groups that have unread articles
2996 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2997 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2998 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2999 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3006 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3007 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3008 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3009 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3010 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3011 unsubscribed groups).
3015 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3016 List all unread groups on a specific level
3017 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3018 with no unread articles.
3022 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3023 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3024 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3025 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3030 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3031 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3035 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3036 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3037 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3041 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3042 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3046 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3047 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3048 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3049 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3050 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3051 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3052 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3053 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3057 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3058 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3059 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3063 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3064 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3065 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3069 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3070 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3074 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3075 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3079 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3080 List groups limited within the current selection
3081 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3085 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3086 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3090 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3091 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3095 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3096 @cindex visible group parameter
3097 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3098 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3099 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3100 get the same effect.
3102 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3103 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3104 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3105 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3106 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3109 @node Sorting Groups
3110 @section Sorting Groups
3111 @cindex sorting groups
3113 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3114 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3115 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3116 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3117 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3118 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3123 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3124 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3125 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3127 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3128 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3129 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3131 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3132 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3133 Sort by group level.
3135 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3136 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3137 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3139 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3140 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3141 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3142 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3144 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3145 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3146 Sort by number of unread articles.
3148 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3149 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3150 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3152 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3153 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3154 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3159 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3160 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3164 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3165 some sorting criteria:
3169 @kindex G S a (Group)
3170 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3171 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3172 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3175 @kindex G S u (Group)
3176 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3177 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3178 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3181 @kindex G S l (Group)
3182 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3183 Sort the group buffer by group level
3184 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3187 @kindex G S v (Group)
3188 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3189 Sort the group buffer by group score
3190 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3193 @kindex G S r (Group)
3194 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3195 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3196 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3199 @kindex G S m (Group)
3200 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3201 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3202 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3206 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3207 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3209 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3210 commands will sort in reverse order.
3212 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3216 @kindex G P a (Group)
3217 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3218 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3219 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3222 @kindex G P u (Group)
3223 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3224 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3225 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3228 @kindex G P l (Group)
3229 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3230 Sort the groups by group level
3231 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3234 @kindex G P v (Group)
3235 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3236 Sort the groups by group score
3237 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3240 @kindex G P r (Group)
3241 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3242 Sort the groups by group rank
3243 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3246 @kindex G P m (Group)
3247 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3248 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3249 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3252 @kindex G P s (Group)
3253 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3254 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3258 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3262 @node Group Maintenance
3263 @section Group Maintenance
3264 @cindex bogus groups
3269 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3270 Find bogus groups and delete them
3271 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3275 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3276 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3277 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3278 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3279 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3283 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3284 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3285 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3286 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3287 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3288 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3291 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3292 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3293 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3294 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3299 @node Browse Foreign Server
3300 @section Browse Foreign Server
3301 @cindex foreign servers
3302 @cindex browsing servers
3307 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3308 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3309 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3310 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3313 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3314 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3315 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3316 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3318 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3323 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3324 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3328 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3329 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3332 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3333 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3334 Enter the current group and display the first article
3335 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3338 @kindex RET (Browse)
3339 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3340 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3344 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3345 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3346 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3352 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3353 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3357 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3358 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3359 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3364 @section Exiting gnus
3365 @cindex exiting gnus
3367 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3372 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3373 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3374 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3375 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3379 @findex gnus-group-exit
3380 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3381 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3385 @findex gnus-group-quit
3386 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3387 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3390 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3391 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3392 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3393 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3394 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3399 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3400 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3401 trying to customize meta-variables.
3406 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3407 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3408 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3414 @section Group Topics
3417 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3418 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3419 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3420 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3421 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3422 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3426 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3427 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3438 2: alt.religion.emacs
3441 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3443 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3444 13: comp.sources.unix
3447 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3449 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3450 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3451 is a toggling command.)
3453 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3454 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3455 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3456 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3459 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3460 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3461 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3464 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3468 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3469 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3470 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3471 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3472 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3476 @node Topic Commands
3477 @subsection Topic Commands
3478 @cindex topic commands
3480 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3481 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3482 definitions slightly.
3484 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3485 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3486 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3487 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3488 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3489 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3491 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3498 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3499 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3500 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3504 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3506 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3507 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3508 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3509 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3512 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3513 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3514 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3515 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3519 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3520 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3521 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3522 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3528 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3529 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3530 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3534 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3535 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3536 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3539 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3540 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3541 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3542 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3543 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3545 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3546 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3550 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3551 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3558 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3560 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3561 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3562 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3563 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3564 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3565 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3569 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3575 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3576 Move the current group to some other topic
3577 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3578 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3582 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3583 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3587 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3588 Copy the current group to some other topic
3589 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3590 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3594 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3595 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3596 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3600 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3601 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3602 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3606 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3607 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3608 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3609 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3610 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3611 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3612 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3615 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3616 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3620 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3621 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3622 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3626 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3627 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3628 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3632 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3633 Toggle hiding empty topics
3634 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3638 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3639 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3640 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3643 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3644 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3645 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3646 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3649 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3650 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3651 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3652 expiry process (if any)
3653 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3657 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3658 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3661 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3662 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3663 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3667 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3668 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3669 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3672 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3673 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3674 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3677 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3678 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3679 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3683 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3684 @cindex group parameters
3685 @cindex topic parameters
3687 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3688 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3693 @node Topic Variables
3694 @subsection Topic Variables
3695 @cindex topic variables
3697 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3698 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3700 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3701 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3702 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3715 Number of groups in the topic.
3717 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3719 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3722 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3723 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3724 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3727 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3728 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3730 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3731 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3732 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3736 @subsection Topic Sorting
3737 @cindex topic sorting
3739 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3745 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3746 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3747 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3748 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3751 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3752 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3753 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3754 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3757 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3758 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3759 Sort the current topic by group level
3760 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3763 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3764 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3765 Sort the current topic by group score
3766 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3769 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3770 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3771 Sort the current topic by group rank
3772 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3775 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3776 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3777 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3778 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3781 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3782 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3783 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3784 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3788 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3789 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3790 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3791 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3795 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3796 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3800 @node Topic Topology
3801 @subsection Topic Topology
3802 @cindex topic topology
3805 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3811 2: alt.religion.emacs
3814 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3816 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3817 13: comp.sources.unix
3820 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3821 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3822 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3827 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3828 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3832 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3833 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3834 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3835 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3836 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3837 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3839 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3840 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3841 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3844 @node Topic Parameters
3845 @subsection Topic Parameters
3846 @cindex topic parameters
3848 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3849 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3850 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3852 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3857 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3858 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3859 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3862 @item subscribe-level
3863 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3864 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3865 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3869 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3870 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3871 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3872 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3878 2: alt.religion.emacs
3882 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3884 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3885 13: comp.sources.unix
3889 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3890 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3891 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3892 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3893 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3894 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3896 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3897 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3898 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3899 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3900 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3902 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3903 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3904 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3905 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3906 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3907 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3908 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3909 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3912 @node Misc Group Stuff
3913 @section Misc Group Stuff
3916 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3917 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3918 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3919 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3920 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3927 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3928 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3929 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3933 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3934 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3935 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3936 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3937 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3938 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3939 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3943 @findex gnus-group-mail
3944 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3945 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3946 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3947 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3951 @findex gnus-group-news
3952 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3953 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3954 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3956 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3957 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3958 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3959 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3960 for this to work though.
3964 Variables for the group buffer:
3968 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3969 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3970 is called after the group buffer has been
3973 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3974 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3975 is called after the group buffer is
3976 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3979 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3980 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3981 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3982 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3984 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3985 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3986 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3987 whether they are empty or not.
3989 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3990 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3991 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3992 non-ASCII group names.
3996 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3997 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4000 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4001 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4002 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4003 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4004 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4005 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4009 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4010 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4015 @node Scanning New Messages
4016 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4017 @cindex new messages
4018 @cindex scanning new news
4024 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4025 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4026 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4027 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4028 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4029 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4034 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4035 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4036 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4037 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4038 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4039 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4040 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4042 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4043 @cindex activating groups
4045 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4046 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4051 @findex gnus-group-restart
4052 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4053 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4054 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4058 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4059 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4061 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4062 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4066 @node Group Information
4067 @subsection Group Information
4068 @cindex group information
4069 @cindex information on groups
4076 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4077 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4080 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4081 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4082 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4083 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4084 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4085 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4086 for fetching the file.
4088 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4089 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4093 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4094 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4096 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4097 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Gnus will use
4098 @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of the charter.
4099 If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control messages for the
4100 group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4104 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4105 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4106 @cindex control message
4107 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4108 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}).
4110 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4111 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4112 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4115 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4116 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4117 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4121 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4123 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4124 @cindex describing groups
4125 @cindex group description
4126 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4127 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4128 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4132 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4133 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4134 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4141 @findex gnus-version
4142 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4146 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4147 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4150 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4153 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4154 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4158 @node Group Timestamp
4159 @subsection Group Timestamp
4161 @cindex group timestamps
4163 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4164 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4165 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4168 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4171 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4173 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4174 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4177 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4178 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4181 This will result in lines looking like:
4184 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4185 0: custom 19961002T012713
4188 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4189 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4193 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4194 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4197 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4198 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4202 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4203 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4204 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4205 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4207 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4213 @subsection File Commands
4214 @cindex file commands
4220 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4221 @vindex gnus-init-file
4222 @cindex reading init file
4223 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4224 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4228 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4229 @cindex saving .newsrc
4230 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4231 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4232 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4235 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4236 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4237 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4242 @node Sieve Commands
4243 @subsection Sieve Commands
4244 @cindex group sieve commands
4246 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4247 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4248 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4249 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4250 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4252 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4253 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4254 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4255 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4256 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4257 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4258 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4259 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4260 regenerate the Sieve script.
4262 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4263 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4264 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4265 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4266 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4267 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4268 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4269 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4270 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4271 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4274 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4275 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4280 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4286 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4287 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4288 @cindex generating sieve script
4289 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4290 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4294 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4295 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4296 @cindex updating sieve script
4297 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4298 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4299 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4304 @node Summary Buffer
4305 @chapter Summary Buffer
4306 @cindex summary buffer
4308 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4309 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4311 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4312 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4314 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4317 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4318 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4319 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4320 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4321 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4322 * Delayed Articles::
4323 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4324 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4325 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4326 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4327 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4328 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4329 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4330 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4331 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4332 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4333 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4334 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4335 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4336 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4337 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4338 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4339 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4340 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4341 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4342 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4343 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4344 or reselecting the current group.
4345 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4346 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4347 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4348 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4352 @node Summary Buffer Format
4353 @section Summary Buffer Format
4354 @cindex summary buffer format
4358 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4359 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4360 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4366 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4367 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4368 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4369 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4372 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4373 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4374 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4375 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4376 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4377 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4378 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4379 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4380 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4381 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4382 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4383 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4384 other function instead:
4387 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4388 'mail-extract-address-components)
4391 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4392 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4393 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4394 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4397 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4398 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4400 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4401 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4402 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4403 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4404 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4406 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4407 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4408 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4409 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4410 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4411 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4413 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4415 The following format specification characters and extended format
4416 specification(s) are understood:
4422 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4423 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4425 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4426 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4427 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4429 Full @code{From} header.
4431 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4433 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4436 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4437 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4438 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4439 may be more thorough.
4441 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4444 Number of lines in the article.
4446 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4447 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4449 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4450 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4452 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4454 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4457 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4458 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4460 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4461 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4463 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4464 for adopted articles.
4466 One space for each thread level.
4468 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4470 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4473 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4474 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4475 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4478 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4480 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4481 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4482 default level. If the difference between
4483 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4484 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4492 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4494 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4500 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4501 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4503 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4504 article has any children.
4510 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4511 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4513 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4514 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4515 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4516 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4517 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4518 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4521 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4522 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4523 There can only be one such area.
4525 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4526 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4527 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4528 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4529 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4530 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4532 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4533 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4535 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4538 @node To From Newsgroups
4539 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4543 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4544 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4545 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4546 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4547 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4551 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4552 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4553 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4557 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4558 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4561 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4562 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4565 @findex gnus-extra-header
4566 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4567 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4568 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4571 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4575 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4576 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4577 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4578 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4579 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4580 headers are used instead.
4584 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4585 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4586 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4587 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4588 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4589 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4591 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4592 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4593 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4594 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4596 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4600 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4602 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4603 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4604 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4605 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4609 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4612 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4613 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4616 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4617 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4618 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4624 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4625 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4628 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4629 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4631 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4632 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4633 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4634 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4636 Here are the elements you can play with:
4642 Unprefixed group name.
4644 Current article number.
4646 Current article score.
4650 Number of unread articles in this group.
4652 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4655 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4656 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4657 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4658 and no unselected ones.
4660 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4661 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4663 Subject of the current article.
4665 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4667 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4669 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4671 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4673 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4675 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4679 @node Summary Highlighting
4680 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4684 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4685 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4686 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4687 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4688 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4690 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4691 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4692 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4693 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4695 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4696 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4697 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4698 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4700 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4701 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4702 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4703 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4704 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4705 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4708 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4709 ((> score default) . bold))
4711 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4712 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4716 @node Summary Maneuvering
4717 @section Summary Maneuvering
4718 @cindex summary movement
4720 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4721 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4723 None of these commands select articles.
4728 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4729 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4730 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4731 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4732 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4736 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4737 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4738 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4739 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4740 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4743 @kindex G g (Summary)
4744 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4745 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4746 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4749 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4750 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4751 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4752 to the group buffer.
4754 Variables related to summary movement:
4758 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4759 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4760 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4761 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4762 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4763 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4764 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4765 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4766 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4767 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4768 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4769 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4770 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4771 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4773 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4774 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4775 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4776 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4777 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4778 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4779 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4781 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4783 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4784 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4785 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4786 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4787 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4789 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4790 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4791 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4792 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4793 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4794 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4795 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4796 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4799 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4800 the given number of lines from the top.
4805 @node Choosing Articles
4806 @section Choosing Articles
4807 @cindex selecting articles
4810 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4811 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4815 @node Choosing Commands
4816 @subsection Choosing Commands
4818 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4819 and they all select and display an article.
4821 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4822 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4826 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4827 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4828 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4829 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4834 @kindex G n (Summary)
4835 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4836 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4837 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4842 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4843 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4844 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4849 @kindex G N (Summary)
4850 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4851 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4856 @kindex G P (Summary)
4857 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4858 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4861 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4862 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4863 Go to the next article with the same subject
4864 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4867 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4868 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4869 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4870 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4874 @kindex G f (Summary)
4876 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4877 Go to the first unread article
4878 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4882 @kindex G b (Summary)
4884 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4885 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4886 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4887 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4892 @kindex G l (Summary)
4893 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4894 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4897 @kindex G o (Summary)
4898 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4900 @cindex article history
4901 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4902 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4903 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4904 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4905 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4906 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4911 @kindex G j (Summary)
4912 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4913 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4914 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4919 @node Choosing Variables
4920 @subsection Choosing Variables
4922 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4925 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4926 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4927 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4928 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4929 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4930 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4932 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4933 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4934 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4935 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4937 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4938 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4939 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4940 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4941 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4942 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4943 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4944 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4945 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4946 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4947 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4948 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4949 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4950 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4955 @node Paging the Article
4956 @section Scrolling the Article
4957 @cindex article scrolling
4962 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4963 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4964 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4965 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4966 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4969 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4970 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4971 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4974 @kindex RET (Summary)
4975 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4976 Scroll the current article one line forward
4977 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4980 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4981 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4982 Scroll the current article one line backward
4983 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4987 @kindex A g (Summary)
4989 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4990 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4991 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4992 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4993 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4994 the way it came from the server.
4996 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4997 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4998 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5001 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5006 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5011 @kindex A < (Summary)
5012 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5013 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5014 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5019 @kindex A > (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5021 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5025 @kindex A s (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5028 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5029 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5033 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5034 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5039 @node Reply Followup and Post
5040 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5043 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5044 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5045 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5046 * Canceling and Superseding::
5050 @node Summary Mail Commands
5051 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5053 @cindex composing mail
5055 Commands for composing a mail message:
5061 @kindex S r (Summary)
5063 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5064 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5065 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5066 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5067 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5072 @kindex S R (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5074 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5075 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5076 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5077 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5080 @kindex S w (Summary)
5081 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5082 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5083 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5084 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5085 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5088 @kindex S W (Summary)
5089 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5090 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5091 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5092 the process/prefix convention.
5095 @kindex S v (Summary)
5096 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5097 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5098 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5099 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5100 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5101 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5104 @kindex S V (Summary)
5105 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5106 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5107 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5108 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5111 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5112 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5113 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5114 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5117 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5118 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5119 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5120 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5121 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5125 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5126 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5127 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5128 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5129 Forward the current article to some other person
5130 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5131 headers of the forwarded article.
5136 @kindex S m (Summary)
5137 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5138 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5139 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5140 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5141 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5146 @kindex S i (Summary)
5147 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5148 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5149 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5150 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5152 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5153 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5154 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5155 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5156 for this to work though.
5159 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5160 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5161 @cindex bouncing mail
5162 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5163 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5164 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5165 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5166 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5167 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5168 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5169 very well fail, though.
5172 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5173 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5174 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5175 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5176 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5177 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5178 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5179 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5180 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5181 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5183 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5184 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5185 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5186 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5187 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5189 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5190 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5193 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5194 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5195 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5196 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5197 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5200 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5202 @cindex crossposting
5203 @cindex excessive crossposting
5204 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5205 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5207 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5208 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5209 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5210 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5211 command understands the process/prefix convention
5212 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5216 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5217 Manual}, for more information.
5220 @node Summary Post Commands
5221 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5223 @cindex composing news
5225 Commands for posting a news article:
5231 @kindex S p (Summary)
5232 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5233 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5234 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5235 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5236 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5241 @kindex S f (Summary)
5242 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5243 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5244 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5248 @kindex S F (Summary)
5250 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5251 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5252 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5253 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5254 process/prefix convention.
5257 @kindex S n (Summary)
5258 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5259 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5260 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5263 @kindex S N (Summary)
5264 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5265 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5266 message through mail and include the original message
5267 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5268 the process/prefix convention.
5271 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5272 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5273 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5274 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5275 headers of the forwarded article.
5278 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5279 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5281 @cindex making digests
5282 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5283 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5284 process/prefix convention.
5287 @kindex S u (Summary)
5288 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5289 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5290 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5291 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5294 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5295 Manual}, for more information.
5298 @node Summary Message Commands
5299 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5303 @kindex S y (Summary)
5304 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5305 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5306 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5307 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5308 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5313 @node Canceling and Superseding
5314 @subsection Canceling Articles
5315 @cindex canceling articles
5316 @cindex superseding articles
5318 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5319 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5321 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5323 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5325 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5326 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5327 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5328 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5329 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5330 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5332 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5333 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5336 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5337 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5338 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5340 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5341 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5342 your original article.
5344 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5346 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5347 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5348 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5351 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5352 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5353 have posted almost the same article twice.
5355 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5356 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5357 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5358 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5359 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5360 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5361 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5362 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5363 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5364 canceled/superseded.
5366 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5368 @node Delayed Articles
5369 @section Delayed Articles
5370 @cindex delayed sending
5371 @cindex send delayed
5373 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5374 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5375 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5376 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5379 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5382 @findex gnus-delay-article
5383 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5384 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5385 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5386 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5390 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5391 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5392 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5393 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5396 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5397 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5398 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5401 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5402 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5403 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5404 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5405 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5406 that means a time tomorrow.
5409 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5410 couple of variables:
5413 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5414 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5415 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5416 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5418 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5419 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5420 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5421 formats described above.
5423 @item gnus-delay-group
5424 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5425 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5426 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5427 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5429 @item gnus-delay-header
5430 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5431 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5432 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5433 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5436 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5437 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5438 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5439 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5440 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5442 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5443 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5444 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5445 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5446 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5447 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5450 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5451 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5452 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5453 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5454 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5455 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5456 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5457 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5459 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5460 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5461 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5462 forget to set that up :-)
5466 @node Marking Articles
5467 @section Marking Articles
5468 @cindex article marking
5469 @cindex article ticking
5472 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5474 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5475 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5476 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5478 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5481 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5482 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5483 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5487 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5491 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5492 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5493 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5497 @node Unread Articles
5498 @subsection Unread Articles
5500 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5505 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5506 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5508 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5509 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5510 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5511 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5512 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5513 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5514 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5517 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5518 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5520 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5521 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5522 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5523 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5527 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5528 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5530 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5535 @subsection Read Articles
5536 @cindex expirable mark
5538 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5543 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5544 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5545 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5548 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5549 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5552 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5553 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5554 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5557 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5558 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5561 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5562 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5565 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5566 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5569 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5570 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5573 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5574 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5577 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5578 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5581 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5582 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5586 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5587 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5588 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5592 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5593 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5595 One more special mark, though:
5599 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5600 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5602 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5603 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5604 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5605 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5611 @subsection Other Marks
5612 @cindex process mark
5615 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5621 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5622 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5623 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5624 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5625 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5628 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5629 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5630 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5631 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5634 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5635 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5636 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5639 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5640 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5641 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5644 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5645 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5646 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5647 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5650 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5651 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5652 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5653 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5654 mark, in which case it simply never appears.
5657 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5658 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5659 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5662 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5663 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5664 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5665 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5666 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5669 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5670 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5671 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5672 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5673 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5674 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5678 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5679 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5680 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5682 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5683 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5684 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5688 @subsection Setting Marks
5689 @cindex setting marks
5691 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5696 @kindex M c (Summary)
5697 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5698 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5699 @cindex mark as unread
5700 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5701 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5707 @kindex M t (Summary)
5708 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5709 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5710 @xref{Article Caching}.
5715 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5716 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5717 Mark the current article as dormant
5718 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5722 @kindex M d (Summary)
5724 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5725 Mark the current article as read
5726 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5730 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5731 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5732 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5737 @kindex M k (Summary)
5738 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5739 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5740 and then select the next unread article
5741 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5745 @kindex M K (Summary)
5746 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5747 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5748 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5749 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5752 @kindex M C (Summary)
5753 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5754 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5755 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5758 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5759 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5760 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5761 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5764 @kindex M H (Summary)
5765 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5766 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5767 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5770 @kindex M h (Summary)
5771 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5772 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5773 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5776 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5777 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5778 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5779 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5782 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5784 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5785 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5789 @kindex M e (Summary)
5791 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5792 Mark the current article as expirable
5793 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5796 @kindex M b (Summary)
5797 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5798 Set a bookmark in the current article
5799 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5802 @kindex M B (Summary)
5803 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5804 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5805 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5808 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5809 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5810 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5811 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5814 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5815 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5816 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5817 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5820 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5821 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5822 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5823 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5824 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5827 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5828 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5829 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5830 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5831 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5832 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5833 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5834 The default is @code{t}.
5837 @node Generic Marking Commands
5838 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5840 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5841 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5842 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5843 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5844 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5847 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5848 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5851 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5852 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5853 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5854 to list in this manual.
5856 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5857 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5858 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5859 article, you could say something like:
5862 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5863 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5864 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5870 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5871 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5875 @node Setting Process Marks
5876 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5877 @cindex setting process marks
5884 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5885 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5886 Mark the current article with the process mark
5887 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5888 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5892 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5893 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5894 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5895 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5898 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5899 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5900 Remove the process mark from all articles
5901 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5904 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5905 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5906 Invert the list of process marked articles
5907 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5910 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5911 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5912 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5913 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5916 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5917 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5918 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5919 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5922 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5923 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5924 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5928 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5929 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
5932 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5933 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5934 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5935 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5938 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5940 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5941 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5944 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5946 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5947 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5950 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5951 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5952 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5955 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5957 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5958 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5961 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5962 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5963 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5966 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5968 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5969 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5972 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5974 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5975 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5978 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5979 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5980 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5981 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5984 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5985 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5986 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5987 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5991 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5992 set process marks based on article body contents.
5999 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6000 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6001 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6004 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6005 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6006 additional articles.
6012 @kindex / / (Summary)
6013 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6014 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6015 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6019 @kindex / a (Summary)
6020 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6021 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6022 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6026 @kindex / x (Summary)
6027 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6028 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6029 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6030 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6035 @kindex / u (Summary)
6037 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6038 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6039 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6040 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6041 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6044 @kindex / m (Summary)
6045 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6046 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6047 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6050 @kindex / t (Summary)
6051 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6052 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6053 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6054 articles younger than that number of days.
6057 @kindex / n (Summary)
6058 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6059 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6060 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6061 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6064 @kindex / w (Summary)
6065 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6066 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6067 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6071 @kindex / v (Summary)
6072 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6073 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6074 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6077 @kindex / p (Summary)
6078 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6079 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6080 group parameter predicate
6081 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6082 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6086 @kindex M S (Summary)
6087 @kindex / E (Summary)
6088 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6089 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6090 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6093 @kindex / D (Summary)
6094 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6095 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6096 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6099 @kindex / * (Summary)
6100 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6101 Include all cached articles in the limit
6102 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6105 @kindex / d (Summary)
6106 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6107 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6108 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6111 @kindex / M (Summary)
6112 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6113 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6116 @kindex / T (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6118 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6121 @kindex / c (Summary)
6122 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6123 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6124 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6127 @kindex / C (Summary)
6128 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6129 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6130 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6131 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6134 @kindex / N (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6136 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6137 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6140 @kindex / o (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6142 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6143 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6151 @cindex article threading
6153 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6154 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6155 hierarchical fashion.
6157 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6158 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6159 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6160 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6161 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6162 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6163 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6165 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6169 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6172 A tree-like article structure.
6175 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6178 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6179 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6180 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6181 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6182 called loose threads.
6184 @item thread gathering
6185 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6187 @item sparse threads
6188 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6189 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6195 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6196 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6200 @node Customizing Threading
6201 @subsection Customizing Threading
6202 @cindex customizing threading
6205 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6206 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6207 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6208 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6213 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6216 @cindex loose threads
6219 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6220 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6221 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6222 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6223 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6224 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6226 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6227 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6228 There are four possible values:
6232 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6233 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6234 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6235 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6236 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6241 @cindex adopting articles
6246 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6247 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6248 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6249 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6252 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6253 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6254 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6255 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6256 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6257 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6258 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6261 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6262 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6263 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6267 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6268 display them after one another.
6271 Don't gather loose threads.
6274 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6275 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6276 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6277 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6278 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6279 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6280 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6281 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6282 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6283 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6284 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6286 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6287 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6288 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6291 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6292 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6293 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6294 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6295 simplification is used.
6297 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6298 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6299 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6300 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6302 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6304 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6310 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6311 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6312 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6313 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6318 (mapconcat 'identity
6319 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6321 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6324 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6327 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6328 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6329 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6330 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6331 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6332 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6334 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6337 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6338 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6339 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6341 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6342 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6345 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6346 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6347 Remove excessive whitespace.
6349 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6350 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6351 Remove all whitespace.
6354 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6357 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6358 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6359 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6360 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6361 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6362 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6363 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6364 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6366 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6367 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6368 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6369 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6370 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6371 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6372 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6373 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6374 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6378 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6379 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6380 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6381 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6383 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6384 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6385 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6388 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6392 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6393 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6399 @node Filling In Threads
6400 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6403 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6404 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6405 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6406 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6407 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6408 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6409 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6410 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6411 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6412 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6413 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6414 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6417 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6418 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6419 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6421 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6422 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6423 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6424 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6425 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6426 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6427 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6428 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6429 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6430 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6431 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6432 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6433 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6434 @code{nil} by default.
6436 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6437 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6438 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6439 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6440 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6441 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6442 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6444 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6445 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6446 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6451 @node More Threading
6452 @subsubsection More Threading
6455 @item gnus-show-threads
6456 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6457 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6458 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6459 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6460 slower and more awkward.
6462 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6463 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6464 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6467 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6468 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6469 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6474 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6475 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6476 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6479 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6480 unread, but you get my drift.)
6483 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6484 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6485 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6486 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6487 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6488 threads are expunged.
6490 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6491 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6492 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6495 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6496 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6497 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6498 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6499 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6500 result in a new thread.
6502 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6503 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6504 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6507 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6508 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6509 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6510 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6511 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6512 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6513 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6514 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6515 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6516 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6517 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6522 @node Low-Level Threading
6523 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6527 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6528 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6529 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6530 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6531 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6532 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6534 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6535 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6536 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6537 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6538 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6539 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6540 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6541 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6542 meaningful. Here's one example:
6545 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6547 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6548 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6550 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6552 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6559 @node Thread Commands
6560 @subsection Thread Commands
6561 @cindex thread commands
6567 @kindex T k (Summary)
6568 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6569 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6570 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6571 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6572 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6577 @kindex T l (Summary)
6578 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6579 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6580 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6581 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6584 @kindex T i (Summary)
6585 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6586 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6587 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6590 @kindex T # (Summary)
6591 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6592 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6593 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6596 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6597 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6598 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6599 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6602 @kindex T T (Summary)
6603 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6604 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6607 @kindex T s (Summary)
6608 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6609 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6610 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6613 @kindex T h (Summary)
6614 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6615 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6618 @kindex T S (Summary)
6619 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6620 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6623 @kindex T H (Summary)
6624 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6625 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6628 @kindex T t (Summary)
6629 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6630 Re-thread the current article's thread
6631 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6632 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6635 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6636 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6637 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6638 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6642 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6643 understand the numeric prefix.
6648 @kindex T n (Summary)
6650 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6652 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6653 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6654 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6657 @kindex T p (Summary)
6659 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6661 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6662 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6663 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6666 @kindex T d (Summary)
6667 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6668 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6671 @kindex T u (Summary)
6672 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6673 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6676 @kindex T o (Summary)
6677 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6678 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6681 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6682 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6683 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6684 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6685 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6686 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6687 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6688 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6689 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6690 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6691 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6692 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6696 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6697 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6699 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6700 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6701 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6702 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6703 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6704 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6705 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6706 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6707 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6708 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6709 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6710 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6711 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6713 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6714 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6715 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6716 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6717 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6718 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6719 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6720 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6722 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6723 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6724 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6726 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6727 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6728 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6729 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6730 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6731 ascending article order.
6733 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6734 by number, you could do something like:
6737 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6738 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6739 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6740 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6743 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6744 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6745 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6746 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6747 which the articles arrived.
6749 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6753 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6755 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6756 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6759 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6760 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6761 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6762 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6765 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6766 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6767 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6768 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6769 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6770 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6771 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6772 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6773 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6774 variable. It is very similar to the
6775 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6776 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6777 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6778 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6779 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6780 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6781 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6783 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6787 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6788 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6789 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6794 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6795 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6796 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6797 @cindex article pre-fetch
6800 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6801 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6802 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6803 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6804 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6806 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6807 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6809 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6810 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6811 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6812 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6813 connection is blocked.
6815 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6816 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6817 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6818 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6820 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6821 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6822 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6823 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6826 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6829 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6830 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6831 happen automatically.
6833 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6834 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6835 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6836 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6837 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6838 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6839 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6841 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6842 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6843 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6844 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6845 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6846 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6847 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6848 data structure as the only parameter.
6850 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6853 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6854 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6855 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6856 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6859 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6862 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6863 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6864 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6866 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6867 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6868 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6869 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6873 Remove articles when they are read.
6876 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6879 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6881 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6882 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6883 @c from the next group.
6886 @node Article Caching
6887 @section Article Caching
6888 @cindex article caching
6891 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6892 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6893 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6894 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6895 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6897 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6899 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6900 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6901 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6902 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6903 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6904 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6905 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6906 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6908 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6909 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6910 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6911 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6912 as dormant, and don't worry.
6914 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6916 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6917 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6918 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6919 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6920 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6921 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6922 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6923 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6924 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6925 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6927 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6928 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6929 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6930 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6931 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6932 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6933 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6934 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6935 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6936 not then be downloaded by this command.
6938 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6939 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6940 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6941 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6942 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6943 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6945 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6946 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6947 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6948 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6949 variables, the group is not cached.
6951 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6952 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6953 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6954 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6955 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6956 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6957 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6958 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6959 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6962 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
6963 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
6964 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
6965 where, isn't that cool?
6967 @node Persistent Articles
6968 @section Persistent Articles
6969 @cindex persistent articles
6971 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6972 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6973 useful in my opinion.
6975 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6976 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6977 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6978 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6979 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6980 the expiry going on at the news server.
6982 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6983 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6984 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6990 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6991 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6994 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6995 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6996 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6997 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7001 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7003 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7004 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7005 interested in persistent articles:
7008 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7012 @node Article Backlog
7013 @section Article Backlog
7015 @cindex article backlog
7017 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7018 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7019 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7020 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7021 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7022 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7023 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7024 increase memory usage some.
7026 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7027 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7028 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7029 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7030 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7031 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7032 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7034 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7037 @node Saving Articles
7038 @section Saving Articles
7039 @cindex saving articles
7041 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7042 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7043 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7044 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7045 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7047 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7048 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7049 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7051 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7052 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7053 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7055 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7056 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7057 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7058 deleted before saving.
7064 @kindex O o (Summary)
7066 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7067 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7068 Save the current article using the default article saver
7069 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7072 @kindex O m (Summary)
7073 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7074 Save the current article in mail format
7075 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7078 @kindex O r (Summary)
7079 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7080 Save the current article in rmail format
7081 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7084 @kindex O f (Summary)
7085 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7086 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7087 Save the current article in plain file format
7088 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7091 @kindex O F (Summary)
7092 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7093 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7094 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7097 @kindex O b (Summary)
7098 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7099 Save the current article body in plain file format
7100 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7103 @kindex O h (Summary)
7104 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7105 Save the current article in mh folder format
7106 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7109 @kindex O v (Summary)
7110 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7111 Save the current article in a VM folder
7112 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7116 @kindex O p (Summary)
7118 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7119 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7120 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7123 @kindex O P (Summary)
7124 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7125 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7126 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7127 external program Muttprint (see
7128 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7129 options to use is controlled by the variable
7130 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7134 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7135 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7136 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7137 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7138 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7139 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7140 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7141 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7142 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7143 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7144 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7145 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7149 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7150 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7151 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7152 functions below, or you can create your own.
7156 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7157 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7158 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7159 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7160 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7161 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7162 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7164 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7165 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7166 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7167 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7168 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7169 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7171 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7172 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7173 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7174 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7175 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7176 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7177 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7179 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7180 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7181 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7182 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7183 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7184 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7186 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7187 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7188 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7189 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7190 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7192 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7193 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7194 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7195 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7196 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7199 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7200 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7201 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7202 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7203 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7205 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7206 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7207 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7208 reader to use this setting.
7211 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7212 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7213 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7214 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7217 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7218 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7219 available functions that generate names:
7223 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7224 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7225 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7227 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7228 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7229 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7231 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7232 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7233 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7235 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7236 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7237 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7239 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7240 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7241 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7244 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7245 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7246 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7247 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7248 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7252 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7253 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7254 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7255 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7258 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7259 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7260 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7261 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7262 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7263 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7264 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7265 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7266 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7268 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7269 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7270 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7271 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7273 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7274 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7275 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7278 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7279 lots of mail groups called things like
7280 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7281 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7282 following will do just that:
7285 (defun my-save-name (group)
7286 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7287 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7289 (setq gnus-split-methods
7290 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7295 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7296 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7297 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7298 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7299 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7300 all the files in the top level directory
7301 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7302 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7303 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7304 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7306 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7307 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7308 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7309 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7310 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7313 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7317 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7318 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7319 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7322 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7323 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7324 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7325 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7328 @node Decoding Articles
7329 @section Decoding Articles
7330 @cindex decoding articles
7332 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7333 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7336 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7337 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7338 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7339 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7340 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7341 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7345 @cindex article series
7346 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7347 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7348 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7349 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7350 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7352 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7353 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7354 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7356 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7357 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7358 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7360 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7361 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7362 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7365 @node Uuencoded Articles
7366 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7368 @cindex uuencoded articles
7373 @kindex X u (Summary)
7374 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7375 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7376 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7379 @kindex X U (Summary)
7380 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7381 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7382 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7385 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7386 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7387 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7390 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7391 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7392 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7393 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7397 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7398 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7399 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7400 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7401 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7403 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7404 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7405 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7406 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7409 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7410 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7411 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7412 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7413 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7414 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7418 @node Shell Archives
7419 @subsection Shell Archives
7421 @cindex shell archives
7422 @cindex shared articles
7424 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7425 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7426 some commands to deal with these:
7431 @kindex X s (Summary)
7432 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7433 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7436 @kindex X S (Summary)
7437 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7438 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7441 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7442 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7443 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7446 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7448 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7449 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7453 @node PostScript Files
7454 @subsection PostScript Files
7460 @kindex X p (Summary)
7461 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7462 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7465 @kindex X P (Summary)
7466 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7467 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7468 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7471 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7472 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7473 View the current PostScript series
7474 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7477 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7478 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7479 View and save the current PostScript series
7480 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7485 @subsection Other Files
7489 @kindex X o (Summary)
7490 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7491 Save the current series
7492 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7495 @kindex X b (Summary)
7496 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7497 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7498 doesn't really work yet.
7502 @node Decoding Variables
7503 @subsection Decoding Variables
7505 Adjective, not verb.
7508 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7509 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7510 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7514 @node Rule Variables
7515 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7516 @cindex rule variables
7518 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7519 variables are of the form
7522 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7529 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7530 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7532 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7533 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7536 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7537 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7540 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7541 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7542 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7543 user and default view rules.
7545 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7546 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7547 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7552 @node Other Decode Variables
7553 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7556 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7558 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7559 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7560 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7561 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7562 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7566 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7567 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7570 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7571 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7572 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7575 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7576 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7577 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7578 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7579 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7582 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7583 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7584 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7586 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7587 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7588 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7589 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7590 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7593 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7594 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7595 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7597 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7598 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7599 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7600 looking for files to display.
7602 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7603 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7604 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7607 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7608 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7609 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7612 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7613 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7614 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7617 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7618 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7619 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7622 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7623 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7624 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7625 decoded articles as unread.
7627 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7628 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7629 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7630 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7632 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7633 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7634 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7636 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7637 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7639 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7640 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7641 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7642 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7644 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7645 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7646 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7647 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7648 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7649 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7650 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7651 simply dropped them.
7656 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7657 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7661 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7662 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7663 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7664 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7665 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7666 for you when you post the article.
7668 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7669 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7670 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7671 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7673 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7674 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7675 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7676 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7677 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7678 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7679 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7681 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7682 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7683 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7684 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7685 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7686 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7687 Default is @code{t}.
7693 @subsection Viewing Files
7694 @cindex viewing files
7695 @cindex pseudo-articles
7697 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7698 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7699 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7700 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7701 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7702 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7703 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7705 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7706 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7707 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7708 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7710 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7711 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7712 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7714 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7715 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7716 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7717 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7718 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7720 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7721 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7722 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7723 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7724 a list of parameters to that command.
7726 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7727 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7728 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7730 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7731 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7732 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7735 @node Article Treatment
7736 @section Article Treatment
7738 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7739 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7740 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7741 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7742 these articles easier.
7745 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7746 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7747 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7748 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7749 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7750 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7751 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7752 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7753 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7754 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7758 @node Article Highlighting
7759 @subsection Article Highlighting
7760 @cindex highlighting
7762 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7763 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7768 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7769 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7770 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7771 Do much highlighting of the current article
7772 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7773 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7776 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7777 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7778 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7779 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7780 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7781 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7782 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7783 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7784 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7785 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7786 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7787 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7790 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7791 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7792 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7794 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7797 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7799 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7800 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7801 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7803 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7804 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7805 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7807 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7808 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7809 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7810 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7811 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7812 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7814 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7815 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7816 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7818 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7819 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7820 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7822 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7823 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7824 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7825 that it's a citation.
7827 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7828 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7829 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7831 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7832 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7833 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7835 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7836 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7837 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7838 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7844 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7845 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7846 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7847 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7848 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7849 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7850 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7851 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7856 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7859 @node Article Fontisizing
7860 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7862 @cindex article emphasis
7864 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7865 @kindex W e (Summary)
7866 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7867 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7868 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7869 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7871 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7872 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7873 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7874 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7875 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7876 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7877 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7878 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7882 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7883 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7884 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7893 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7894 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7895 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7896 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7897 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7898 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7899 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7900 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7901 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7902 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7903 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7904 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7905 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7907 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7908 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7909 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7913 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7916 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7918 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7919 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7920 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7921 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7923 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7926 @node Article Hiding
7927 @subsection Article Hiding
7928 @cindex article hiding
7930 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7931 too much cruft in most articles.
7936 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7937 @findex gnus-article-hide
7938 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7939 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7940 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7943 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7944 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7945 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7949 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7950 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7951 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7952 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7955 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7956 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7957 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7961 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7962 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7963 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7964 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7965 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7966 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7967 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7968 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7972 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7973 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7974 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7975 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7980 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7981 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7982 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7983 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7984 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7985 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7986 articles that have signatures in them do:
7988 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7990 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7992 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7993 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7995 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7998 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8003 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8004 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8005 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8006 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8009 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8010 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8013 @cindex stripping advertisements
8014 @cindex advertisements
8015 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8016 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8017 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8018 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8019 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8020 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8021 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8022 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8023 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8024 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8028 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8029 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8030 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8031 customizing the hiding:
8035 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8036 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8037 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8038 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8039 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8040 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8041 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8046 Starting point of the hidden text.
8048 Ending point of the hidden text.
8050 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8052 Number of lines of hidden text.
8055 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8056 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8057 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8058 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8059 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8064 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8065 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8067 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8068 following two variables:
8071 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8072 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8073 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8074 50), hide the cited text.
8076 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8077 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8078 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8083 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8084 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8085 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8086 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8087 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8088 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8092 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8093 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8094 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8096 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8097 citation customization.
8099 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8103 @node Article Washing
8104 @subsection Article Washing
8106 @cindex article washing
8108 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8109 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8111 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8112 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8115 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8116 articles by default.
8121 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8122 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8126 @kindex W l (Summary)
8127 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8128 Remove page breaks from the current article
8129 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8133 @kindex W r (Summary)
8134 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8135 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8136 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8137 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8138 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8139 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8141 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8142 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8143 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8144 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8148 @kindex W t (Summary)
8150 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8151 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8152 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8155 @kindex W v (Summary)
8156 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8157 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8158 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8161 @kindex W m (Summary)
8162 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8163 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
8164 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8167 @kindex W o (Summary)
8168 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8169 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8172 @kindex W d (Summary)
8173 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8174 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8176 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8178 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8179 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8180 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8181 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8184 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8185 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8186 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8187 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8190 @kindex W k (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8192 @cindex Outlook Express
8193 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8194 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8197 @kindex W w (Summary)
8198 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8199 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8201 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8205 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8206 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8207 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8210 @kindex W C (Summary)
8211 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8212 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8213 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8216 @kindex W c (Summary)
8217 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8218 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8219 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8220 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8221 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8224 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8225 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8226 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8227 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8228 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8229 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8230 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8232 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8235 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8236 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8237 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8238 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8239 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8242 @kindex W u (Summary)
8243 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8244 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8245 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8246 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8247 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8250 @kindex W h (Summary)
8251 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8252 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8253 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8254 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8256 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8258 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8259 The default is to use the function specified by
8260 @code{mm-inline-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Customization, , , emacs-mime})
8261 to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8262 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8270 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8274 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8277 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8280 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8285 @kindex W b (Summary)
8286 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8287 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8288 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8291 @kindex W B (Summary)
8292 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8293 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8294 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8297 @kindex W p (Summary)
8298 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8299 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8300 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8301 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8302 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8303 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8304 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8307 @kindex W s (Summary)
8308 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8309 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8310 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8313 @kindex W a (Summary)
8314 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8315 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8316 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8319 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8320 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8321 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8322 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8325 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8326 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8327 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8328 lines with a single empty line.
8329 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8332 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8333 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8334 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8335 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8338 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8339 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8340 Do all the three commands above
8341 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8344 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8345 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8346 Remove all blank lines
8347 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8350 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8351 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8352 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8353 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8356 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8357 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8358 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8359 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8363 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8366 @node Article Header
8367 @subsection Article Header
8369 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8374 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8375 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8376 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8379 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8380 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8381 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8382 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8385 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8386 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8387 Fold all the message headers
8388 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8392 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8393 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8394 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8399 @node Article Buttons
8400 @subsection Article Buttons
8403 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8404 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8405 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8406 button on these references.
8408 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8409 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8410 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8415 @item gnus-button-alist
8416 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8417 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8420 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8426 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8427 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8428 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a variable containing a
8429 regexp, useful variables to use include @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8432 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8433 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8434 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8437 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8438 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8439 avoid false matches.
8442 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8445 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8446 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8450 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8453 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8456 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8457 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8458 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8459 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8460 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8463 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8466 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8468 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8469 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8470 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8471 default values of the variables above.
8473 @item gnus-article-button-face
8474 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8475 Face used on buttons.
8477 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8478 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8479 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8483 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8487 @subsection Article Date
8489 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8490 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8491 when the article was sent.
8496 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8497 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8498 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8499 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8502 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8503 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8505 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8506 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8509 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8510 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8511 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8514 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8515 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8516 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8517 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8520 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8521 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8522 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8523 @findex format-time-string
8524 Display the date using a user-defined format
8525 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8526 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8527 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8528 for a list of possible format specs.
8531 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8532 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8533 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8534 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8535 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8536 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8539 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8542 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8543 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8546 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8547 into wonderful absurdities.
8549 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8552 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8555 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8556 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8560 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8561 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8562 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8563 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8564 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8565 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8566 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8570 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8571 preferred format automatically.
8574 @node Article Display
8575 @subsection Article Display
8580 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8581 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8583 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8584 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8586 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8587 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8589 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8590 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8592 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8597 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8598 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8599 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8600 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8603 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8604 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8605 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8608 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8609 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8610 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8613 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8614 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8615 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8616 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8619 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8621 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8622 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8625 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8626 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8627 Remove all images from the article buffer
8628 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8634 @node Article Signature
8635 @subsection Article Signature
8637 @cindex article signature
8639 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8640 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8641 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8642 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8643 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8644 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8645 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8646 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8647 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8650 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8651 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8652 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8653 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8654 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8655 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8656 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8657 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8660 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8663 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8664 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8665 signature when displaying articles.
8669 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8672 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8675 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8676 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8678 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8679 in question is not a signature.
8682 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8683 listed above. Here's an example:
8686 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8687 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8690 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8691 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8692 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8693 signature after all.
8696 @node Article Miscellania
8697 @subsection Article Miscellania
8701 @kindex A t (Summary)
8702 @findex gnus-article-babel
8703 Translate the article from one language to another
8704 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8710 @section MIME Commands
8711 @cindex MIME decoding
8713 @cindex viewing attachments
8715 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8716 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8722 @kindex K v (Summary)
8723 View the @sc{mime} part.
8726 @kindex K o (Summary)
8727 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8730 @kindex K c (Summary)
8731 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8734 @kindex K e (Summary)
8735 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8738 @kindex K i (Summary)
8739 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8742 @kindex K | (Summary)
8743 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8746 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8751 @kindex K b (Summary)
8752 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8753 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8757 @kindex K m (Summary)
8758 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8759 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8760 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8761 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8762 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8765 @kindex X m (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8767 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8768 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8769 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8772 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8773 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8774 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8775 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8778 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8780 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8781 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8784 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8785 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8786 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8787 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8789 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8790 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8791 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8792 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8793 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8794 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8797 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8798 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8799 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8800 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8807 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8808 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8809 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8810 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8813 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8816 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8820 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8821 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8822 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8823 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8824 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8825 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8828 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8829 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8830 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8831 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8832 displayed. This variable overrides
8833 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8835 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8836 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8837 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8839 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8840 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8841 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8842 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8843 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8844 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8845 save all jpegs into some directory).
8847 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8850 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8851 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8853 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8854 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8855 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8856 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8857 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8860 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8861 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8862 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8864 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8865 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8866 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8867 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8869 Ready-made functions include@*
8870 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8871 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8872 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8873 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8874 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8875 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8876 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8877 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8878 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8879 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8880 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8881 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8883 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8884 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8886 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8887 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8888 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8891 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8892 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8893 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8894 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8898 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8907 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8908 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8909 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8910 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8911 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8912 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8913 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8915 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8916 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8917 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8918 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8920 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8921 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8922 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8923 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8924 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8925 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8926 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8927 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8929 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8930 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8931 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8932 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8933 quoted-printable header encoding.
8935 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8936 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8937 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8941 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8944 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8945 means encode all charsets),
8947 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8948 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8949 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8956 @cindex coding system aliases
8957 @cindex preferred charset
8959 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8961 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8962 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8965 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8966 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8969 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8970 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8972 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8975 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8978 This will almost do the right thing.
8980 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8984 (codepage-setup 1251)
8985 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8989 @node Article Commands
8990 @section Article Commands
8997 @kindex A P (Summary)
8998 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8999 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9000 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9001 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9002 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9003 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9008 @node Summary Sorting
9009 @section Summary Sorting
9010 @cindex summary sorting
9012 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9013 can't really see why you'd want that.
9018 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9019 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9020 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9023 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9024 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9025 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9028 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9029 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9030 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9033 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9034 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9035 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9038 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9039 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9040 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9043 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9044 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9045 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9048 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9049 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9050 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9053 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9054 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9055 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9058 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9059 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9060 Sort using the default sorting method
9061 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9064 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9065 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9066 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9067 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9068 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9072 @node Finding the Parent
9073 @section Finding the Parent
9074 @cindex parent articles
9075 @cindex referring articles
9080 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9081 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9082 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9083 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9084 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9085 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9086 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9087 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9088 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9090 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9091 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9092 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9093 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9094 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9098 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9099 @kindex A R (Summary)
9100 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9101 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9104 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9105 @kindex A T (Summary)
9106 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9107 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9108 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9109 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9110 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9111 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9112 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9114 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9115 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9116 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9117 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9118 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9119 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9122 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9123 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9125 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9126 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9127 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9128 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9129 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9130 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9131 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9134 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9135 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9136 by giving this command a prefix.
9138 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9139 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9140 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9141 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9142 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9143 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9146 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9147 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9148 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9151 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9152 then ask Google if that fails:
9155 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9157 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type google))))
9160 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9161 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9162 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9163 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9164 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9165 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9166 support this at all.
9169 @node Alternative Approaches
9170 @section Alternative Approaches
9172 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9173 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9176 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9177 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9182 @subsection Pick and Read
9183 @cindex pick and read
9185 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9186 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9187 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9188 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9190 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9191 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9192 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9193 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9194 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9195 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9197 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9202 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9203 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9204 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9205 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9206 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9207 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9208 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9209 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9212 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9213 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9214 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9215 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9219 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9220 Unpick the thread or article
9221 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9222 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9223 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9224 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9225 the thread or article at that line.
9229 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9230 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9231 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9232 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9233 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9234 will still be visible when you are reading.
9238 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9239 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9240 which is mapped to the same function
9241 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9243 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9246 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9249 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9250 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9252 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9253 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9254 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9256 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9257 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9258 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9259 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9260 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9261 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9262 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9266 @subsection Binary Groups
9267 @cindex binary groups
9269 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9270 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9271 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9272 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9273 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9274 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9275 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9278 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9279 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9280 command, when you have turned on this mode
9281 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9283 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9284 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9288 @section Tree Display
9291 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9292 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9293 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9294 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9297 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9300 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9301 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9302 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9304 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9305 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9306 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9307 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9308 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9310 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9311 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9312 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9313 default is @code{modeline}.
9315 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9316 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9317 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9318 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9319 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9320 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9321 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9327 The name of the poster.
9329 The @code{From} header.
9331 The number of the article.
9333 The opening bracket.
9335 The closing bracket.
9340 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9342 Variables related to the display are:
9345 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9346 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9347 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9348 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9349 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9350 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9352 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9353 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9354 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9355 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9359 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9360 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9361 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9362 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9363 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9364 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9365 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9366 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9367 other windows displayed next to it.
9369 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9373 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9374 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9377 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9378 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9379 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9380 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9381 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9382 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9383 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9387 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9390 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9400 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9404 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9405 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9407 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9409 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9414 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9415 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9416 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9419 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9420 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9421 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9422 (gnus-add-configuration
9426 (summary 0.75 point)
9431 @xref{Window Layout}.
9434 @node Mail Group Commands
9435 @section Mail Group Commands
9436 @cindex mail group commands
9438 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9439 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9441 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9442 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9447 @kindex B e (Summary)
9448 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9449 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9450 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9451 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9452 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9455 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9456 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9457 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9458 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9459 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9460 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9463 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9464 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9465 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9466 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9467 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9468 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9471 @kindex B m (Summary)
9473 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9474 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9475 Move the article from one mail group to another
9476 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9477 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9480 @kindex B c (Summary)
9482 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9483 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9484 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9485 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9486 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9489 @kindex B B (Summary)
9490 @cindex crosspost mail
9491 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9492 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9493 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9494 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9495 be properly updated.
9498 @kindex B i (Summary)
9499 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9500 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9501 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9502 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9505 @kindex B I (Summary)
9506 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9507 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9508 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9509 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9512 @kindex B r (Summary)
9513 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9514 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9515 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9516 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9517 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9518 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9519 (which is the default).
9523 @kindex B w (Summary)
9525 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9526 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9527 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9528 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9529 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9530 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9531 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9534 @kindex B q (Summary)
9535 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9536 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9537 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9538 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9541 @kindex B t (Summary)
9542 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9543 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9544 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9547 @kindex B p (Summary)
9548 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9549 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9550 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9551 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9552 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9553 article from your news server (or rather, from
9554 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9555 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9556 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9557 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9558 just not have arrived yet.
9561 @kindex K E (Summary)
9562 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9563 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9564 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9565 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9566 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9570 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9571 @cindex moving articles
9572 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
9573 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9574 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9575 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9576 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9577 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9578 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9581 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9582 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9583 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9584 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9588 @node Various Summary Stuff
9589 @section Various Summary Stuff
9592 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9593 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9594 * Summary Generation Commands::
9595 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9599 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9600 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9601 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9603 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9604 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9605 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9606 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9607 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9608 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9611 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9612 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9613 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9614 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9615 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9617 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9618 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9619 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9622 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9623 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9624 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9625 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9626 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9627 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9628 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
9629 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9630 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9631 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9633 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9634 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9635 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9636 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9637 list of articles to be selected.
9639 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9640 the list in one particular group:
9643 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9644 (if (string= group "some.group")
9645 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9649 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9650 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9651 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9652 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9653 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9654 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9655 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9656 buffers. For example:
9659 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9660 '(message-use-followup-to
9661 (gnus-visible-headers .
9662 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9668 @node Summary Group Information
9669 @subsection Summary Group Information
9674 @kindex H f (Summary)
9675 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9676 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9677 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9678 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9679 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9680 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9681 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9682 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9683 be used for fetching the file.
9686 @kindex H d (Summary)
9687 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9688 Give a brief description of the current group
9689 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9690 rereading the description from the server.
9693 @kindex H h (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9695 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9696 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9699 @kindex H i (Summary)
9700 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9701 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9705 @node Searching for Articles
9706 @subsection Searching for Articles
9711 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9712 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9713 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9714 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9717 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9718 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9719 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9720 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9724 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9725 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9726 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9727 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9728 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9729 search backward instead.
9731 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9732 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9735 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9736 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9737 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9738 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9741 @node Summary Generation Commands
9742 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9747 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9748 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9749 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9752 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9753 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9754 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9755 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9760 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9761 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9767 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9768 @kindex A D (Summary)
9769 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9770 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9771 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9772 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9773 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9774 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9775 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9776 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9780 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9781 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9782 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9783 several documents into one biiig group
9784 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9785 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9786 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9787 command understands the process/prefix convention
9788 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9791 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9792 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9793 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9794 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9795 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9796 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9800 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9801 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9802 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9805 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9806 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9807 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9808 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9811 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9812 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9813 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9814 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9819 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9820 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9821 @cindex summary exit
9822 @cindex exiting groups
9824 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9825 group and return you to the group buffer.
9831 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9833 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9834 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9835 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9836 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9837 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9838 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9839 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9840 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9841 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9842 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9843 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9847 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9849 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9850 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9851 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9855 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9857 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9858 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9859 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9860 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9863 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9864 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9865 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9866 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9869 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9870 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9871 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9872 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9875 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9876 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9877 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9878 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9879 all articles, both read and unread.
9883 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9884 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9885 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9886 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9887 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9888 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9889 articles, both read and unread.
9892 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9893 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9894 Exit the group and go to the next group
9895 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9898 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9899 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9900 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9901 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9904 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9905 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9906 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9907 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9908 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9909 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9912 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9913 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9914 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9915 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9917 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9918 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9919 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9920 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9921 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9922 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9923 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9924 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9925 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9926 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9927 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9928 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9930 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9932 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9933 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9934 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9935 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9936 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9937 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9938 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9939 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9940 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9943 @node Crosspost Handling
9944 @section Crosspost Handling
9948 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9949 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9950 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9951 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9952 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9953 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9956 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9957 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9958 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9959 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9960 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9962 @cindex cross-posting
9965 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9966 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9967 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9968 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9969 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9970 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9971 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9972 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9973 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9974 the cross reference mechanism.
9976 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9977 @cindex overview.fmt
9978 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9979 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9980 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9981 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9982 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9983 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9986 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9987 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9988 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9993 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9996 @node Duplicate Suppression
9997 @section Duplicate Suppression
9999 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10000 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10001 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10002 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10007 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10008 is evil and not very common.
10011 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10012 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10015 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10016 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10019 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10022 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10023 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10025 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10026 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10027 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10028 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10029 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10030 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10031 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10034 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10035 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10036 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10037 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10038 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10039 saw the article in.
10042 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10043 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10044 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10046 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10047 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10048 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10049 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10050 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10051 session are suppressed.
10053 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10054 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10055 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10056 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10058 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10059 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10060 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10061 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10064 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10065 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10066 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10067 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10068 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10069 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10070 to you to figure out, I think.
10075 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10076 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10077 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10081 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10082 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10085 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10086 or newer is recommended.
10090 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10091 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10094 @item mm-verify-option
10095 @vindex mm-verify-option
10096 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10097 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10098 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10100 @item mm-decrypt-option
10101 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10102 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10103 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10104 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10109 @section Mailing List
10111 @kindex A M (summary)
10112 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10113 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10114 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10115 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10116 summary buffer, or say:
10119 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10122 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10127 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10128 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10129 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10132 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10133 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10134 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10137 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10138 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10139 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10143 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10144 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10145 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10148 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10149 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10150 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10153 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10154 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10155 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10159 @node Article Buffer
10160 @chapter Article Buffer
10161 @cindex article buffer
10163 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10164 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10165 tell gnus otherwise.
10168 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10169 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10170 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10171 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10172 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10176 @node Hiding Headers
10177 @section Hiding Headers
10178 @cindex hiding headers
10179 @cindex deleting headers
10181 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10182 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10184 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10185 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10186 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10187 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10188 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10189 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10190 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10191 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10192 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10194 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10198 @item gnus-visible-headers
10199 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10200 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10201 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10202 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10204 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10205 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10208 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10211 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10214 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10215 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10216 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10217 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10218 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10219 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10221 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10222 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10225 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10228 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10231 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10232 variable will have no effect.
10236 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10237 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10238 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10239 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10240 the headers are to be displayed.
10242 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10243 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10246 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10249 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10250 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10252 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10253 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10254 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10255 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10256 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10257 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10258 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10261 These conditions are:
10264 Remove all empty headers.
10266 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10267 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10269 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10270 @code{From} header.
10272 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10275 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10276 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10278 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10281 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10283 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10286 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10289 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10290 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10293 This is also the default value for this variable.
10297 @section Using MIME
10300 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10301 while people stand around yawning.
10303 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10304 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10306 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10307 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10308 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10310 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10311 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10312 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10313 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
10314 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10315 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10316 calls the @sc{semi} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
10317 information on @sc{semi} MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is
10318 not existed yet, sorry).
10320 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10321 @sc{mime} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set, then
10322 you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10323 These can't be avoided.
10325 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10326 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10327 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10328 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
10329 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
10330 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
10331 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
10332 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
10333 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
10336 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10338 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10339 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10340 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10341 buffer when there are nobody else.
10343 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10346 @node Customizing Articles
10347 @section Customizing Articles
10348 @cindex article customization
10350 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10351 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10352 called automatically when you select the articles.
10354 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10355 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10356 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10357 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10359 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10360 for sensible values.
10364 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10367 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10370 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10373 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10376 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10380 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10381 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10382 regexps in the list.
10385 A list where the first element is not a string:
10387 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10388 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10389 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10393 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10397 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10402 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10403 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10404 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10405 considered to contain just a single part.
10407 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10408 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10409 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10410 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10411 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10412 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10413 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10415 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10416 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10417 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10418 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10421 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10422 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10424 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10426 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10427 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10428 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10429 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10430 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10431 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10432 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10433 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10434 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10435 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10436 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
10438 @xref{Article Washing}.
10440 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10441 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10442 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10443 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10444 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10445 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10446 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10448 @xref{Article Date}.
10450 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10451 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10452 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10456 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10458 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10460 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10461 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10462 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10466 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10470 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10471 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10472 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10473 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10474 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10475 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10476 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10477 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10479 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10481 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10482 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10483 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10485 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10487 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10488 @item gnus-treat-translate
10489 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10491 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10492 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10493 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10494 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10496 @xref{Article Header}.
10501 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10502 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10503 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10504 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10505 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10509 @node Article Keymap
10510 @section Article Keymap
10512 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10513 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10514 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10515 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10518 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10523 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10524 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10525 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10528 @kindex DEL (Article)
10529 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10530 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10533 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10534 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10535 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10536 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10537 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10540 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10541 @findex gnus-article-mail
10542 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10543 given a prefix, include the mail.
10546 @kindex s (Article)
10547 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10548 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10549 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10552 @kindex ? (Article)
10553 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10554 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10555 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10558 @kindex TAB (Article)
10559 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10560 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10561 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10564 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10565 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10566 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10569 @kindex R (Article)
10570 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10571 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10572 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10573 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10577 @kindex F (Article)
10578 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10579 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10580 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10581 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10589 @section Misc Article
10593 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10594 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10595 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10596 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10599 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10600 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10602 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10603 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10605 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10606 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10607 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10608 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10609 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10610 the contents of the article buffer.
10612 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10613 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10614 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10616 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10617 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10618 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10619 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10621 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10622 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10623 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10624 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10625 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10631 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10632 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10633 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10638 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10641 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10644 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10645 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10646 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10649 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10652 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10655 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10660 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10664 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10666 @item gnus-break-pages
10667 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10668 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10669 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10670 paging will not be done.
10672 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10673 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10674 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10679 @node Composing Messages
10680 @chapter Composing Messages
10681 @cindex composing messages
10684 @cindex sending mail
10689 @cindex using s/mime
10690 @cindex using smime
10692 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10693 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10694 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10695 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10696 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10697 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10700 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10701 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10702 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10703 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10704 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10705 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10706 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10707 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10710 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10711 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10717 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10720 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10721 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10722 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10723 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10725 @item gnus-add-to-list
10726 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10727 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10728 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10730 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10731 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10732 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10733 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10734 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10739 @node Posting Server
10740 @section Posting Server
10742 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10743 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10745 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10747 It can be quite complicated.
10749 @vindex gnus-post-method
10750 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10751 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10752 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10753 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10754 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10755 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10756 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10757 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10758 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10761 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10764 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10765 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10766 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10767 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10769 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10770 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10772 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10773 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10776 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10777 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10779 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10780 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10781 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10782 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10783 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10784 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10785 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10786 package correctly. An example:
10789 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10790 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10793 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
10794 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
10795 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
10797 Other possible choises for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10798 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10799 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
10801 @node Mail and Post
10802 @section Mail and Post
10804 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10808 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10809 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10810 @cindex mailing lists
10812 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10813 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10814 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10815 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10816 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10817 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10818 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10819 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10820 still a pain, though.
10824 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10825 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10826 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10829 @findex ispell-message
10831 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10834 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10835 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10838 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10842 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10843 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10845 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10848 Modify to suit your needs.
10851 @node Archived Messages
10852 @section Archived Messages
10853 @cindex archived messages
10854 @cindex sent messages
10856 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10857 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10858 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10859 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10862 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
10863 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
10866 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10867 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
10868 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10871 (nnfolder "archive"
10872 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10873 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10874 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10875 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10878 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10879 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10880 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10881 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10884 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10885 '(nnfolder "archive"
10886 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10887 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10888 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10891 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10893 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10894 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10895 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10897 This variable can be used to do the following:
10902 Messages will be saved in that group.
10904 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10905 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10906 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10907 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10908 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10909 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10910 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10911 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10915 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10917 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10918 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10921 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10926 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10928 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10931 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10933 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10936 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10938 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10939 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10940 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10941 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10944 More complex stuff:
10946 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10947 '((if (message-news-p)
10952 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10953 messages in one file per month:
10956 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10957 '((if (message-news-p)
10959 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10962 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10963 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10965 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10966 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10967 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10968 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10969 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10970 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10971 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10972 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10973 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10974 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10976 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10977 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10978 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10979 this will disable archiving.
10982 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10983 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10984 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10985 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10986 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10989 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10990 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10991 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10994 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10995 but the latter is the preferred method.
10997 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10998 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10999 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11001 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11002 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11003 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11004 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11005 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11006 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11007 changed in the future.
11012 @node Posting Styles
11013 @section Posting Styles
11014 @cindex posting styles
11017 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11019 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11020 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11021 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11024 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11025 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11026 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11027 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11028 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11033 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11034 (organization "What me?"))
11036 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11037 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11038 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11041 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11042 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11043 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11044 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11045 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11046 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11047 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11048 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11050 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11051 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11052 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11053 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11054 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. If it's a function symbol, that
11055 function will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol,
11056 then the variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list
11057 will be @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil}
11058 value, then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
11060 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11061 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11062 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11063 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11064 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11065 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11066 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11067 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11068 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11069 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11072 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11073 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11074 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11075 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11076 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11077 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11078 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11079 references chars lines xref extra.
11081 @vindex message-reply-headers
11083 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11084 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11085 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11087 @findex message-mail-p
11088 @findex message-news-p
11090 So here's a new example:
11093 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11095 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11097 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11098 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11100 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11101 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11102 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11103 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11104 (signature my-news-signature))
11105 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11106 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11107 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11108 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11109 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11110 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11111 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11112 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11113 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11114 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11116 (From (save-excursion
11117 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11118 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11120 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11123 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11124 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11125 if you fill many roles.
11132 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11133 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11134 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11135 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11136 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11138 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11139 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11140 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11141 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11142 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11146 @vindex nndraft-directory
11147 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11148 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11149 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11150 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11151 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11152 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11154 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11155 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11158 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11159 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11160 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11161 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11162 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11163 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11164 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11165 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11166 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11167 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11168 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11169 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11170 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11171 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11173 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11174 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11175 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11177 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11178 @kindex D e (Draft)
11179 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11180 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11181 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11183 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11186 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11187 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11188 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11189 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11190 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11191 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11192 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11195 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11196 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11197 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11200 @node Rejected Articles
11201 @section Rejected Articles
11202 @cindex rejected articles
11204 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11205 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11206 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11207 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11209 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11210 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11211 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11212 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11213 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11215 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11216 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11217 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11219 @node Signing and encrypting
11220 @section Signing and encrypting
11222 @cindex using s/mime
11223 @cindex using smime
11225 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11226 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11227 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11228 (@pxref{Security}).
11230 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11231 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11232 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11234 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11235 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11236 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11237 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11238 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11239 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11240 automatically encrypted messages.
11242 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11243 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11244 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11249 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11250 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11252 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11255 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11256 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11258 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11261 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11262 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11264 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11267 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11268 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11270 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11273 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11274 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11276 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11279 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11280 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11282 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11285 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11286 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11287 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11291 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11293 @node Select Methods
11294 @chapter Select Methods
11295 @cindex foreign groups
11296 @cindex select methods
11298 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11299 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11300 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11301 personal mail group.
11303 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11304 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11305 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11306 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11307 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11308 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11310 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11311 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11313 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11316 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11317 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11318 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11319 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11320 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11322 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11325 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11326 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11327 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11328 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11329 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11330 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11331 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11332 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11336 @node Server Buffer
11337 @section Server Buffer
11339 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11340 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11341 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11342 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11343 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11344 back end represents a virtual server.
11346 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11347 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11348 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11349 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11351 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11352 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11353 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11354 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11355 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11356 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11357 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11359 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11360 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11363 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11364 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11365 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11366 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11367 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11368 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11369 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11372 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11373 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11376 @node Server Buffer Format
11377 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11378 @cindex server buffer format
11380 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11381 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11382 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11383 variable, with some simple extensions:
11388 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11391 The name of this server.
11394 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11397 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11400 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11401 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11402 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11403 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11413 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11416 @node Server Commands
11417 @subsection Server Commands
11418 @cindex server commands
11424 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11425 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11429 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11430 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11433 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11434 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11435 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11439 @findex gnus-server-exit
11440 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11444 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11445 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11449 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11450 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11454 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11455 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11459 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11460 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11464 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11465 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11466 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11471 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11472 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11473 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11474 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11479 @node Example Methods
11480 @subsection Example Methods
11482 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11485 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11488 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11494 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11495 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11498 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11499 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11501 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11502 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11506 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11509 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11510 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11512 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11513 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11514 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11518 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11521 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11524 Here's the method for a public spool:
11528 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11529 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11535 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11536 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11537 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11538 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11539 should probably look something like this:
11543 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11544 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11545 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11546 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11549 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11550 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11551 configuration to the example above:
11554 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11557 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11559 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11560 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11561 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11565 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11566 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11567 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11568 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11571 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11572 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11573 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11574 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11577 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11578 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11580 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11581 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11583 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11584 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11585 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11587 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11589 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11590 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11591 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11592 will contain the following:
11602 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11603 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11604 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11607 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11608 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11609 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11612 @node Server Variables
11613 @subsection Server Variables
11615 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11616 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11617 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11618 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11619 won't change the "derived" variables.
11621 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11622 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11623 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11624 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11625 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11626 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11627 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11628 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11629 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11633 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11634 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11635 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11639 @node Servers and Methods
11640 @subsection Servers and Methods
11642 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11643 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11644 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11645 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11649 @node Unavailable Servers
11650 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11652 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11653 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11654 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11655 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11656 actually the case or not.
11658 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11659 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11660 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11661 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11662 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11663 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11664 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11665 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11667 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11668 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11670 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11671 with the following commands:
11677 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11678 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11679 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11683 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11684 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11685 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11689 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11690 Mark the current server as unreachable
11691 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11694 @kindex M-o (Server)
11695 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11696 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11697 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11700 @kindex M-c (Server)
11701 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11702 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11703 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11707 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11708 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11709 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11713 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11714 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11720 @section Getting News
11721 @cindex reading news
11722 @cindex news back ends
11724 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11725 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11726 or it can read from a local spool.
11729 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11730 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11738 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11739 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11740 server as the, uhm, address.
11742 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11743 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11744 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11745 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11747 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11748 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11749 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11751 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11756 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11757 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11758 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11760 @cindex authentification
11761 @cindex nntp authentification
11762 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11763 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11764 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11765 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11766 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11767 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11768 present in this hook.
11770 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11771 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11772 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11773 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11774 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11775 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11776 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11777 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11778 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11779 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11780 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11781 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11785 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11788 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11790 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11791 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11792 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11793 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11794 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11795 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11796 @samp{force} is explained below.
11800 Here's an example file:
11803 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11804 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11807 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11808 have to be first, for instance.
11810 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11811 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11812 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11813 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11814 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11815 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11816 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11818 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11819 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11825 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11826 previously mentioned.
11828 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11830 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11831 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11832 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11833 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11834 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11837 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11838 '(("innd" (ding))))
11841 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11843 The default value is
11846 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11847 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11848 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11851 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11852 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11854 @item nntp-maximum-request
11855 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11856 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11857 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11858 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11859 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11860 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11861 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11863 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11864 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11865 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11866 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11867 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11868 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11869 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11870 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11871 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11872 no timeouts are done.
11874 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11875 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11876 @c @cindex PPP connections
11877 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11878 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11879 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11880 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11881 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11882 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11883 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11884 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11885 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11886 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11888 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11889 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11890 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11891 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11892 @c described above.
11894 @item nntp-server-hook
11895 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11896 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11899 @item nntp-buggy-select
11900 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11901 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11903 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11904 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11905 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11906 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11909 @item nntp-xover-commands
11910 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11913 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11914 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11918 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11919 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11920 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11921 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11922 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11923 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11924 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11925 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11926 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11927 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11928 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11930 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11931 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11932 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11934 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11935 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11936 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11937 server closes connection.
11939 @item nntp-record-commands
11940 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11941 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11942 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11943 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11944 that doesn't seem to work.
11946 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11947 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11948 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11949 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11950 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11951 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11952 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11953 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11955 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
11956 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
11957 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
11958 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
11959 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
11960 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
11961 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
11964 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
11967 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
11968 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
11970 @item nntp-list-options
11971 @vindex nntp-list-options
11972 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
11973 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
11974 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
11975 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
11976 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
11980 (setq gnus-select-method
11981 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11982 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
11985 @item nntp-options-subscribe
11986 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
11987 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
11988 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
11989 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
11990 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
11991 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
11994 (setq gnus-select-method
11995 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
11996 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
11999 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12000 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12001 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12002 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12003 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12004 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12005 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12008 (setq gnus-select-method
12009 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12010 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12015 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12016 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12017 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12021 @node Direct Functions
12022 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12023 @cindex direct connection functions
12025 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12026 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12027 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12028 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12031 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12032 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12033 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12036 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12037 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12038 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12039 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12040 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12041 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12042 define a server as follows:
12045 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12047 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12048 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12050 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12051 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12052 (nntp-port-number 563)
12053 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12056 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12057 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12058 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12059 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12060 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12061 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12062 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12063 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12067 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12068 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12069 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12072 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12073 session, which is not a good idea.
12077 @node Indirect Functions
12078 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12079 @cindex indirect connection functions
12081 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12082 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12083 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12084 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12085 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12086 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12089 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12090 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12091 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12092 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12093 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12095 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12098 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12099 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12100 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12101 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12103 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12104 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12105 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12106 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12107 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12108 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12109 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12110 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12113 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12114 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12115 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12116 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12118 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12121 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12122 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12123 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12126 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12127 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12128 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12129 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12131 @item nntp-via-user-password
12132 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12133 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12135 @item nntp-via-envuser
12136 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12137 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12138 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12139 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12141 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12142 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12143 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12144 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12151 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12156 @item nntp-via-user-name
12157 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12158 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12160 @item nntp-via-address
12161 @vindex nntp-via-address
12162 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12167 @node Common Variables
12168 @subsubsection Common Variables
12170 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12171 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12176 @item nntp-pre-command
12177 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12178 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12179 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12180 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12181 wrapper for instance.
12184 @vindex nntp-address
12185 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12187 @item nntp-port-number
12188 @vindex nntp-port-number
12189 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12190 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12191 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12192 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12194 @item nntp-end-of-line
12195 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12196 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12197 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12198 using a non native connection function.
12200 @item nntp-telnet-command
12201 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12202 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12203 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12204 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12206 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12207 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12208 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12215 @subsection News Spool
12219 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12220 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12221 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12224 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12225 anything else) as the address.
12227 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12228 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12229 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12230 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12234 @item nnspool-inews-program
12235 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12236 Program used to post an article.
12238 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12239 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12240 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12242 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12243 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12244 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12245 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12247 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12248 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12249 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12250 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12252 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12253 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12254 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12256 @item nnspool-active-file
12257 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12258 The path to the active file.
12260 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12261 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12262 The path to the group descriptions file.
12264 @item nnspool-history-file
12265 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12266 The path to the news history file.
12268 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12269 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12270 The path to the active date file.
12272 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12273 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12274 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12277 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12278 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12280 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12281 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12282 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12288 @section Getting Mail
12289 @cindex reading mail
12292 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12296 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12297 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12298 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12299 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12300 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12301 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12302 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12303 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12304 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12305 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12306 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12307 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12308 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12312 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12313 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12315 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12316 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12317 of a culture shock.
12319 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12320 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12322 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12323 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12324 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12325 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12327 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12329 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12330 deleted? How awful!
12332 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12333 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12334 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12335 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12338 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12339 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12340 they want to treat a message.
12342 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12343 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12344 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12345 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12346 archived somewhere else.
12348 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12349 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12350 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12351 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12352 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12354 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12355 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12356 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12358 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12359 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12362 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12363 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12364 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12365 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12366 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12368 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12369 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12370 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12371 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12372 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12373 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12377 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12378 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12380 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12381 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12382 and things will happen automatically.
12384 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12385 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12388 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12391 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12392 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12393 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12394 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12395 like any other group.
12397 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12400 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12401 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12402 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12406 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12407 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12408 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12411 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12412 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12413 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12416 @node Splitting Mail
12417 @subsection Splitting Mail
12418 @cindex splitting mail
12419 @cindex mail splitting
12421 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12422 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12423 to be split into groups.
12426 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12427 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12428 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12429 ("mail.other" "")))
12432 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12433 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12434 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12435 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12436 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12437 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12438 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12441 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12444 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12445 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12446 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12447 mail belongs in that group.
12449 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12450 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12451 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12452 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12453 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12454 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12456 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12457 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12458 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12459 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12460 thinks should carry this mail message.
12462 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12463 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12464 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12465 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12467 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12468 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12469 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12470 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12471 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12473 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12476 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12477 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12478 links. If that's the case for you, set
12479 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12480 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12482 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12483 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12484 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12485 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12486 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12487 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12490 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12491 Header lines longer than the value of
12492 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12495 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12496 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12497 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12498 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12499 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12500 can be turned off completely by binding
12501 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12502 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12504 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12505 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12506 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12507 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12508 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12509 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12510 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12511 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12512 month's rent money.
12516 @subsection Mail Sources
12518 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12519 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12523 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12524 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12525 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12529 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12530 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12532 @cindex mail server
12535 @cindex mail source
12537 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12538 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12543 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12546 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12547 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12548 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12551 The following mail source types are available:
12555 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12561 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12562 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12563 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12566 An example file mail source:
12569 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12572 Or using the default path:
12578 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12579 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12580 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12583 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12587 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12590 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12594 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12597 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12599 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12602 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12606 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12607 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12608 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12609 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12610 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12611 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12612 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12613 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12615 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12616 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12617 to all the files from the directory.
12623 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12627 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12631 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12632 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12633 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12634 predicate are considered.
12638 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12642 An example directory mail source:
12645 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12650 Get mail from a POP server.
12656 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12657 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12660 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12661 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12662 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12663 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12664 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12667 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12671 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12675 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12676 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12679 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12682 The valid format specifier characters are:
12686 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12687 included in this string.
12690 The name of the server.
12693 The port number of the server.
12696 The user name to use.
12699 The password to use.
12702 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12703 corresponding keywords.
12706 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12707 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12710 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12711 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12714 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12715 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12718 @item :authentication
12719 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12720 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12724 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
12725 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
12726 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
12727 programs and libraries:
12731 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
12732 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
12733 library @samp{ssl.el}.
12735 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
12736 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
12741 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
12742 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
12746 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12747 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12749 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12750 default user name, and default fetcher:
12756 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12759 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12760 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12763 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12766 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12770 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12771 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12772 contains exactly one mail.
12778 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12779 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12782 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12783 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12785 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12786 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12787 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12790 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12791 from locking problems).
12795 Two example maildir mail sources:
12798 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12799 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12803 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12808 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12809 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12810 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12811 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12814 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12815 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12821 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12822 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12825 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12826 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12829 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12833 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12837 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12838 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12839 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12840 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12842 @item :authentication
12843 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12844 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12845 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12846 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12849 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12850 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12851 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12857 The valid format specifier characters are:
12861 The name of the server.
12864 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12867 The port number of the server.
12870 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12871 corresponding keywords.
12874 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12875 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12878 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12879 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12880 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12881 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
12882 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12883 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
12886 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12887 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12888 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12889 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
12892 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12893 after finishing the fetch.
12897 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12900 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12902 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12906 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
12907 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
12908 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
12910 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12911 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12913 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
12919 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12920 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12923 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12927 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12931 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12932 folder after finishing the fetch.
12936 An example webmail source:
12939 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12941 :password "secret")
12946 @item Common Keywords
12947 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12953 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12954 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12958 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12963 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12964 useful when you use local mail and news.
12969 @subsubsection Function Interface
12971 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12972 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12973 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12974 consider the following mail-source setting:
12977 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12978 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12981 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12982 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12983 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12984 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12985 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12987 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12990 @node Mail Source Customization
12991 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12993 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12994 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12998 @item mail-source-crash-box
12999 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13000 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13001 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13003 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13004 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13005 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13007 @item mail-source-directory
13008 @vindex mail-source-directory
13009 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13010 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13011 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13014 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13015 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13016 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13017 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13018 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13019 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13021 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13022 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13023 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13025 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13026 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13027 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13028 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13033 @node Fetching Mail
13034 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13036 @vindex mail-sources
13037 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13038 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13039 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13040 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13042 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13043 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13046 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13047 mail server, you'd say something like:
13052 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13053 :password "secret")))
13056 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13060 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13061 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13064 :password "secret")))
13068 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13069 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13070 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13071 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13072 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13073 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13077 @node Mail Back End Variables
13078 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13080 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13084 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13085 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13086 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13087 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13089 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13090 @item nnmail-split-hook
13091 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13092 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13093 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13094 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13095 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13096 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13097 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13098 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13099 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13102 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13103 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13104 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13105 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13106 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13107 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13108 starting to handle the new mail) and
13109 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13110 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13111 default file modes the new mail files get:
13114 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13115 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13117 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13118 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13121 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13122 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13123 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13124 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13125 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13126 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13127 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13129 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13130 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13131 @findex delete-file
13132 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13134 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13135 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13136 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13137 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13138 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13140 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13141 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13142 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13143 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13144 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13146 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13147 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13148 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13153 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13154 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13155 @cindex mail splitting
13156 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13158 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13159 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13160 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13161 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13162 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13163 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13165 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13168 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13169 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13170 ;; from real errors.
13171 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13173 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13174 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13175 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13176 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13177 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13178 ;; Other mailing lists...
13179 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13180 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13181 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13182 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13183 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13184 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13185 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13186 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13188 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13189 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13193 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13194 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13195 the five possible split syntaxes:
13200 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13201 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13205 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13206 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13207 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13208 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13209 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13210 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13211 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13212 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13215 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13216 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13217 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13218 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13221 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13222 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13225 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13226 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13229 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13230 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13231 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13232 function should return a @var{split}.
13235 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13236 body of the messages:
13239 (defun split-on-body ()
13241 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13242 (goto-char (point-min))
13243 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13247 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13248 when the @code{:} function is run.
13251 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13252 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13253 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13257 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13261 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13262 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13263 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13264 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13265 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13267 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13268 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13269 are expanded as specified by the variable
13270 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13271 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13274 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13275 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13276 when all this splitting is performed.
13278 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13279 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13280 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13283 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13286 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13287 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13289 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13290 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13291 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13292 groupings 1 through 9.
13294 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13295 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13296 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13297 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13298 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13299 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13300 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13301 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13302 it once per thread.
13304 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13305 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13306 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13309 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13310 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13312 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13313 ;; other splits go here
13317 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13318 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13319 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13320 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13321 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13322 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13323 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13324 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13325 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13326 unless the group name matches the regexp
13327 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13328 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13329 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13330 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13331 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13332 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13333 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13334 messages goes into the new group.
13336 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13337 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13338 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13339 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13340 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13344 @node Group Mail Splitting
13345 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13346 @cindex mail splitting
13347 @cindex group mail splitting
13349 @findex gnus-group-split
13350 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13351 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13352 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13353 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13354 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13355 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13356 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13357 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13359 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13360 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13361 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13362 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13364 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13365 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13366 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13367 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13368 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13369 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13370 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13372 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13373 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13374 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13375 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13376 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13377 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13378 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13380 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13381 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13382 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13383 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13384 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13385 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13386 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13387 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13388 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13389 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13390 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13391 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13392 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13394 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13399 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13400 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13402 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13403 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13404 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13405 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13407 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13410 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13411 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13412 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13415 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13416 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13417 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13421 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13422 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13423 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13427 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13430 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13431 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13432 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13433 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13434 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13435 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13436 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13437 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13438 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13440 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13441 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13442 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13443 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13444 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13445 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13446 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13447 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13448 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13450 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13451 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13452 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13453 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13454 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13455 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13458 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13461 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13462 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13463 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13464 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13465 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13468 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13469 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13470 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13471 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13473 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13474 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13475 @cindex incorporating old mail
13476 @cindex import old mail
13478 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13479 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13480 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13483 Doing so can be quite easy.
13485 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13486 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13487 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13488 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13489 your @code{nnml} groups.
13495 Go to the group buffer.
13498 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13499 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13502 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13505 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13506 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13509 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13510 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13513 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13514 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13515 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13516 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13517 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13519 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13520 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13521 using the new mail back end.
13524 @node Expiring Mail
13525 @subsection Expiring Mail
13526 @cindex article expiry
13528 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13529 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13530 different approach to mail reading.
13532 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13533 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13534 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13535 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13536 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13537 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13540 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13541 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13542 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13543 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13544 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13545 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13546 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13547 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13549 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13550 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13551 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13552 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13553 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13554 column in the summary buffer.
13556 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13557 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13558 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13559 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13562 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13564 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13565 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13566 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13569 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13570 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13571 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13572 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13573 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13575 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13576 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13579 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13580 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13583 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13584 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13586 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13587 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13588 don't really mix very well.
13590 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13591 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13592 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13593 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13596 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13597 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13598 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13599 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13602 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13604 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13606 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13608 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13610 ((string= group "important")
13616 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13617 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13619 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13620 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13621 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13624 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13625 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13627 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13628 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13629 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13630 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13631 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13632 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13633 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13634 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13635 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13636 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13637 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13638 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13639 name or @code{delete}.
13641 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13643 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13646 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13647 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13648 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13649 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13650 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13653 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13654 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13655 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13656 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13657 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13660 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13661 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13662 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13663 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13664 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13665 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13667 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13668 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13669 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13670 easier for procmail users.
13672 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13673 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13674 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13675 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13676 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13677 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13678 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13679 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13680 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13681 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13682 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13683 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13684 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13687 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13689 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13690 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13691 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13692 auto-expire turned on.
13696 @subsection Washing Mail
13697 @cindex mail washing
13698 @cindex list server brain damage
13699 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13701 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13702 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13703 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13704 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13705 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13706 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13708 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13709 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13710 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13713 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13714 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13715 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13716 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13719 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13720 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13721 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13722 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13723 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13726 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13727 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13728 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13729 Emacs running on MS machines.
13733 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13734 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13735 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13736 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13739 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13740 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13741 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13742 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13744 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13745 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13746 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13747 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13748 into a feature by documenting it.)
13750 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13751 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13752 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13753 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13754 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13755 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13756 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13759 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13760 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13763 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13764 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13767 This can also be done non-destructively with
13768 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13770 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13771 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13772 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13774 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13775 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13777 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13778 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13779 @code{References} headers.
13783 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13784 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13785 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13789 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13790 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13791 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13798 @subsection Duplicates
13800 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13801 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13802 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13803 @cindex duplicate mails
13804 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13805 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13806 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13807 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13808 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13809 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13810 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13811 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13812 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13813 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13814 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13815 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13816 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13818 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13819 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13820 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13821 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13823 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13826 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13827 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13831 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13832 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13833 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13834 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13835 (any mail "mail.misc")
13842 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13843 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13848 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13849 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13850 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13851 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13852 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13855 @node Not Reading Mail
13856 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13858 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13859 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13860 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13862 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13863 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13864 mail, which should help.
13866 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13867 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13868 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13869 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13870 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13871 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13872 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13873 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13874 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13875 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13876 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13878 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13879 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13883 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13884 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13886 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13887 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13888 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13890 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13891 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13892 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
13893 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
13894 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
13895 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
13896 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
13899 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13900 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13901 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13902 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13903 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13904 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13908 @node Unix Mail Box
13909 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13911 @cindex unix mail box
13913 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13914 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13915 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13916 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13917 which group it belongs in.
13919 Virtual server settings:
13922 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13923 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13924 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13927 @item nnmbox-active-file
13928 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13929 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13930 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13932 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13933 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13934 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13935 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13940 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13944 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13945 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13946 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13947 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13948 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13950 Virtual server settings:
13953 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13954 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13955 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13957 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13958 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13959 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13960 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13962 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13963 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13964 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13970 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13972 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13974 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13975 format. It should be used with some caution.
13977 @vindex nnml-directory
13978 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13979 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13980 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13981 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13983 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13986 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13987 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13988 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13989 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13990 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13991 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13992 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13993 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13995 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13996 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13997 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
13998 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14000 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14002 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14003 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14004 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14005 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14006 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14007 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14008 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14009 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14012 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14013 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14014 them next time it starts.
14016 Virtual server settings:
14019 @item nnml-directory
14020 @vindex nnml-directory
14021 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14022 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14025 @item nnml-active-file
14026 @vindex nnml-active-file
14027 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14028 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14030 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14031 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14032 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14033 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14035 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14036 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14037 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14040 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14041 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14042 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14043 default is @code{nil}.
14045 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14046 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14047 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14049 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14050 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14051 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14053 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14054 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14055 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14056 default is @code{nil}.
14058 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14059 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14060 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14062 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14063 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14064 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14069 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14070 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14071 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14072 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14073 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14074 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14075 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14080 @subsubsection MH Spool
14082 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14084 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14085 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14086 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14087 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14089 Virtual server settings:
14092 @item nnmh-directory
14093 @vindex nnmh-directory
14094 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14095 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14098 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14099 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14100 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14104 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14105 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14106 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14107 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14108 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14109 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14110 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14115 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14117 @cindex mbox folders
14118 @cindex mail folders
14120 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14121 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14122 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14125 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14127 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14128 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14129 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14130 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14131 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14132 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14133 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14134 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14135 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14136 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14138 Virtual server settings:
14141 @item nnfolder-directory
14142 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14143 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14144 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14147 @item nnfolder-active-file
14148 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14149 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14151 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14152 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14153 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14154 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14156 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14157 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14158 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14161 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14162 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14163 @cindex backup files
14164 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14165 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14166 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14167 your @file{.emacs} file:
14170 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14171 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14173 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14176 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14177 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14178 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14179 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14180 extract some information from it before removing it.
14182 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14183 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14184 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14185 default is @code{nil}.
14187 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14188 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14189 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14191 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14192 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14193 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14194 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14196 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14197 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14198 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14199 default is @code{nil}.
14201 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14202 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14203 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14205 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14206 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14207 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14208 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14213 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14214 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14215 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14216 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14217 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14218 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14221 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14222 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14224 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14225 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14226 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14227 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14228 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14230 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14231 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14232 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14233 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14234 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14235 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14236 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14237 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14240 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14241 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14242 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14243 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14248 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14249 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14250 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14251 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14252 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14253 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14254 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14255 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14256 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14257 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14258 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14259 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14260 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14265 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14266 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14267 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14268 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14269 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14270 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14271 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14272 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14273 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14274 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14275 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14276 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14277 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14278 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14280 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14281 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14286 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14287 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14288 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14289 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14290 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14291 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14292 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14293 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14294 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14295 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14296 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14297 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14298 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14299 provided by the active file and overviews.
14301 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14302 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
14303 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14304 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14305 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14308 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14309 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14314 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14315 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14316 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14317 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14318 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14319 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14320 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14324 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14325 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14326 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14327 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14328 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14329 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14330 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14331 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14332 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14334 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14335 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14336 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14337 friendly mail back end all over.
14341 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14342 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14343 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14344 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14345 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14346 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14347 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14348 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14351 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14352 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14353 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14354 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14355 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14356 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14357 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14358 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14359 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14360 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14361 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14363 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14364 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14365 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14366 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14367 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14368 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14369 This will probably be changed in the future.
14371 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14372 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14373 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14374 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14375 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14378 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14379 parameters slightly different from those of other mail backends.
14381 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14382 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14383 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14384 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14385 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14386 would) to make it use less memory.
14388 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14389 with other backends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14390 depending in part on your filesystem.
14392 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14393 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived backend.
14398 @node Browsing the Web
14399 @section Browsing the Web
14401 @cindex browsing the web
14405 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14406 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14407 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14408 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14409 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14410 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14411 even know what a news group is.
14413 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14414 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14415 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14416 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14417 you mad in the end.
14419 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14422 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14423 interfaces to these sources.
14427 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14428 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14429 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14430 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14431 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14432 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14435 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14437 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14438 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14439 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14440 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14441 though, you should be ok.
14443 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14444 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14445 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14446 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14447 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14449 @node Archiving Mail
14450 @subsection Archiving Mail
14451 @cindex archiving mail
14452 @cindex backup of mail
14454 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14455 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14456 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14457 marks is fairly simple.
14459 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14460 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14463 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14464 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14465 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14466 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14467 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14468 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14469 might interfer with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14470 before you restore the data.
14472 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14473 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14474 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14475 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14476 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14477 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14478 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14479 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14480 is unnecessary in that case.
14483 @subsection Web Searches
14488 @cindex Usenet searches
14489 @cindex searching the Usenet
14491 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14492 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14493 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14494 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14495 searches without having to use a browser.
14497 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14498 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14499 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14500 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14501 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14503 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14504 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14505 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14506 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14507 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14508 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14509 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14510 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14511 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14512 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14515 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14516 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14517 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14518 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14519 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14520 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14522 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14523 to use @code{nnweb}.
14525 Virtual server variables:
14530 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14531 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14532 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14535 @vindex nnweb-search
14536 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14538 @item nnweb-max-hits
14539 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14540 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14543 @item nnweb-type-definition
14544 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14545 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14546 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14551 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14555 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14558 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14561 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14565 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14572 @subsection Slashdot
14576 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14577 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14578 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14580 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14581 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14584 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14585 '((nnslashdot "")))
14588 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14589 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14590 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14591 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14592 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14595 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14596 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14598 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14599 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14600 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14601 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14602 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14603 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14606 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14609 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14610 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14611 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14612 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14613 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14614 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14615 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14617 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14618 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14619 The login name to use when posting.
14621 @item nnslashdot-password
14622 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14623 The password to use when posting.
14625 @item nnslashdot-directory
14626 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14627 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14628 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14630 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14631 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14632 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14633 news articles and comments. The default is
14634 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14636 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14637 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14638 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14640 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14642 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14643 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14644 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14646 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14648 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14649 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14650 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14652 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14653 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14654 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14655 updated. The default is 0.
14662 @subsection Ultimate
14664 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14666 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14667 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14668 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14669 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14671 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14672 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14673 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14674 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14675 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14676 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14677 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14679 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14682 @item nnultimate-directory
14683 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14684 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14685 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14690 @subsection Web Archive
14692 @cindex Web Archive
14694 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14695 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14696 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14697 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14700 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14701 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14702 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14703 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14704 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14705 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14706 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14708 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14711 @item nnwarchive-directory
14712 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14713 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14714 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14716 @item nnwarchive-login
14717 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14718 The account name on the web server.
14720 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14721 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14722 The password for your account on the web server.
14730 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14731 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14732 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14735 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14736 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14739 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14742 @item nnrss-directory
14743 @vindex nnrss-directory
14744 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14745 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14749 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14750 the summary buffer.
14753 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14754 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14756 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14758 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14759 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14762 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14765 (require 'browse-url)
14767 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14769 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14772 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14773 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14775 (browse-url (cdr url))
14776 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14778 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14779 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14780 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14781 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14784 @node Customizing w3
14785 @subsection Customizing w3
14791 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14792 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14793 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14795 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14796 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14797 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14800 (eval-after-load "w3"
14802 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14803 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14804 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14805 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14807 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14810 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14811 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14820 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14821 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14822 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14823 specify the network address of the server.
14825 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14826 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14827 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14828 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14829 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14831 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14832 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14833 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14834 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14836 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14837 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14838 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14839 usage explained in this section.
14841 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14842 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14843 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14846 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14847 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14848 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14850 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14851 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14852 ; a UW server running on localhost
14854 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14855 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14856 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14857 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14858 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14859 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14860 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14861 (nnimap-stream network))
14862 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14864 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14865 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14866 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14869 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14874 @item nnimap-address
14875 @vindex nnimap-address
14877 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14878 server name if not specified.
14880 @item nnimap-server-port
14881 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14882 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14884 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14887 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14888 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14891 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14892 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14893 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14894 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14895 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14896 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14897 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14899 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14900 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14901 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14904 Example server specification:
14907 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14908 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14909 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14912 @item nnimap-stream
14913 @vindex nnimap-stream
14914 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14915 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14916 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14917 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14919 Example server specification:
14922 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14923 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14926 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14930 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14931 @samp{imtest} program.
14933 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14935 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14936 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14939 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14940 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14941 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14943 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14945 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14948 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14949 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14950 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14951 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14952 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14953 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14954 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14955 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14956 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14959 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14960 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14961 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14962 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14963 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14964 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14965 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14966 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14967 distribution, for instance).
14969 @vindex imap-shell-program
14970 @vindex imap-shell-host
14971 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14972 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14974 @item nnimap-authenticator
14975 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14977 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14978 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14980 Example server specification:
14983 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14984 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14987 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14991 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
14992 external program @code{imtest}.
14994 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
14997 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
14998 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15000 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15002 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15004 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
15007 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15009 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15010 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15011 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15012 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15013 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15014 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15017 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15018 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15019 running in circles yet?
15021 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15022 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15025 The possible options are:
15030 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15033 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15034 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15035 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15036 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15038 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15043 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15044 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15046 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15047 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15048 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15049 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15050 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15053 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15054 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15057 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15058 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15059 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15060 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15063 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15064 as ticked for other users.
15066 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15068 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15070 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15071 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15072 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15073 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15075 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15076 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15077 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15078 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15080 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15081 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15083 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15084 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15085 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15091 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15092 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15093 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15098 @node Splitting in IMAP
15099 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15100 @cindex splitting imap mail
15102 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15103 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15104 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15105 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15106 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15110 Here are the variables of interest:
15114 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15115 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15117 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15119 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15120 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15122 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15124 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15125 @cindex splitting, inbox
15127 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15129 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15130 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15134 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15135 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15138 No nnmail equivalent.
15140 @item nnimap-split-rule
15141 @cindex Splitting, rules
15142 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15144 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15147 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15148 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15149 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15150 Neither did I, we need examples.
15153 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15155 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15156 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15157 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15160 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15161 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15162 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15164 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15165 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15169 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15172 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15173 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15174 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15175 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15177 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15178 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15179 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15180 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15181 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15182 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15184 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15185 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15186 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15188 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15189 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15190 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15192 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15194 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15195 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15196 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15199 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15200 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15201 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15202 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15203 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15204 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15207 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15208 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15209 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15210 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15211 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15212 group/function elements.
15214 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15216 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15218 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15220 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15221 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15223 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15224 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15225 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15228 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15229 @cindex splitting, fancy
15230 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15231 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15233 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15234 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15235 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15237 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15238 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15239 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15240 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15245 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15246 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15249 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15253 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15254 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15255 @cindex editing imap acls
15256 @cindex Access Control Lists
15257 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15259 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15261 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15262 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15263 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15266 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15267 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15268 editing window with detailed instructions.
15270 Some possible uses:
15274 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15275 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15276 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15278 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15279 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15280 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15284 @node Expunging mailboxes
15285 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15289 @cindex Manual expunging
15291 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15293 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15294 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15295 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15297 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15302 @node Other Sources
15303 @section Other Sources
15305 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15306 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15310 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15311 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15312 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15313 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15314 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15318 @node Directory Groups
15319 @subsection Directory Groups
15321 @cindex directory groups
15323 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15324 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15327 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15328 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15329 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15330 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15332 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15333 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15334 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15335 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15336 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15338 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15340 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15341 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15342 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15343 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15346 @node Anything Groups
15347 @subsection Anything Groups
15350 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15351 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15352 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15355 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15356 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15357 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15358 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15359 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15360 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15361 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15362 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15363 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15364 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15367 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15368 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15369 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15370 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15372 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15373 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15374 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15375 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15377 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15378 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15379 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15380 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15381 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15382 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15383 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15384 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15389 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15390 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15391 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15392 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15394 @item nneething-exclude-files
15395 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15396 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15397 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15399 @item nneething-include-files
15400 @vindex nneething-include-files
15401 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15402 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15404 @item nneething-map-file
15405 @vindex nneething-map-file
15406 Name of the map files.
15410 @node Document Groups
15411 @subsection Document Groups
15413 @cindex documentation group
15416 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15417 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15424 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15429 The standard Unix mbox file.
15431 @cindex MMDF mail box
15433 The MMDF mail box format.
15436 Several news articles appended into a file.
15439 @cindex rnews batch files
15440 The rnews batch transport format.
15441 @cindex forwarded messages
15444 Forwarded articles.
15447 Netscape mail boxes.
15450 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15452 @item standard-digest
15453 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15456 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15458 @item lanl-gov-announce
15459 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15461 @item rfc822-forward
15462 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15465 The Outlook mail box.
15468 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15471 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15474 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15477 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15483 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15486 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15492 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15493 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15494 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15497 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15498 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15499 group. And that's it.
15501 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15502 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15503 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15504 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15505 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15506 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15507 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15508 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15509 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15510 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15512 Virtual server variables:
15515 @item nndoc-article-type
15516 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15517 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15518 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15519 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15520 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15521 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15523 @item nndoc-post-type
15524 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15525 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15526 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15531 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15535 @node Document Server Internals
15536 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15538 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15539 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15540 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15541 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15543 First, here's an example document type definition:
15547 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15548 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15551 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15552 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15553 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15554 types can be defined with very few settings:
15557 @item first-article
15558 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15559 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15562 @item article-begin
15563 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15564 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15566 @item head-begin-function
15567 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15570 @item nndoc-head-begin
15571 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15574 @item nndoc-head-end
15575 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15576 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15578 @item body-begin-function
15579 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15583 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15586 @item body-end-function
15587 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15591 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15594 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15595 regexp will be totally ignored.
15599 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15600 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15601 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15602 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15603 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15606 @item prepare-body-function
15607 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15608 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15609 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15611 @item article-transform-function
15612 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15613 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15614 body of the article.
15616 @item generate-head-function
15617 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15618 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15619 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15620 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15624 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15629 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15630 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15631 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15632 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15633 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15634 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15635 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15636 (subtype digest guess))
15639 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15640 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15641 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15642 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15643 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15645 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15646 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15647 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15648 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15649 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
15650 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15651 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15652 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15653 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15654 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15662 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15663 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15664 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15666 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15667 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15668 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15671 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15672 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15673 that interested in doing things properly.
15675 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15676 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15679 First some terminology:
15684 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15685 get news and/or mail from.
15688 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15689 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15692 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15696 @item message packets
15697 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15698 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15699 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15701 @item response packets
15702 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15703 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15704 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15714 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15715 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15716 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15717 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15720 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15723 You put the packet in your home directory.
15726 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15727 the native or secondary server.
15730 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15731 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15734 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15738 You transfer this packet to the server.
15741 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15744 You then repeat until you die.
15748 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15749 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15752 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15753 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15754 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15758 @node SOUP Commands
15759 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15761 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15765 @kindex G s b (Group)
15766 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15767 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15768 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15769 process/prefix convention.
15772 @kindex G s w (Group)
15773 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15774 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15777 @kindex G s s (Group)
15778 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15779 Send all replies from the replies packet
15780 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15783 @kindex G s p (Group)
15784 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15785 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15788 @kindex G s r (Group)
15789 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15790 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15793 @kindex O s (Summary)
15794 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15795 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15796 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15797 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15802 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15807 @item gnus-soup-directory
15808 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15809 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15810 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15812 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15813 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15814 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15815 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15817 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15818 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15819 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15820 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15822 @item gnus-soup-packer
15823 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15824 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15825 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15827 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15828 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15829 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15830 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15832 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15833 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15834 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15836 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15837 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15838 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15839 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15845 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
15848 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15849 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15850 you can read them at leisure.
15852 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15856 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15857 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15858 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15859 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15861 @item nnsoup-directory
15862 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15863 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15864 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15866 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15867 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15868 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15869 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15871 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15872 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15873 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15874 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15875 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15877 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15878 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15879 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15880 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15882 @item nnsoup-active-file
15883 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15884 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15885 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15886 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15887 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15889 @item nnsoup-packer
15890 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15891 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15892 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15894 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15895 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15896 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15897 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15899 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15900 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15901 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15904 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15905 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15906 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15909 @item nnsoup-always-save
15910 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15911 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15917 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15919 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15920 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15921 more for that to happen.
15923 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15924 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15925 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15928 In specific, this is what it does:
15931 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15932 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15935 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15936 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15937 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15940 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15941 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15942 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15945 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15946 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15947 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15949 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15955 @item nngateway-address
15956 @vindex nngateway-address
15957 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15959 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15960 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15961 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15962 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15963 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15964 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15965 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15968 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15969 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15970 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15973 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15976 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
15979 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15982 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15984 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15987 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15988 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15989 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15991 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15993 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15994 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15995 @code{nngateway-address}.
16000 (setq gnus-post-method
16002 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16003 (nngateway-header-transformation
16004 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16012 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16015 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16020 @node Combined Groups
16021 @section Combined Groups
16023 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16027 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16028 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16032 @node Virtual Groups
16033 @subsection Virtual Groups
16035 @cindex virtual groups
16036 @cindex merging groups
16038 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16041 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16042 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16043 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16045 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16046 regexp to match component groups.
16048 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16049 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16050 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16051 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16052 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16053 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16054 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16055 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16057 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16058 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16061 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16064 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16065 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16067 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16068 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16069 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16070 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16073 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16076 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16077 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16078 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16080 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16081 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16082 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16083 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16084 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16086 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16087 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16088 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16090 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16091 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16092 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16093 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16094 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16095 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16096 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16097 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16098 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16099 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16100 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16102 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16103 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16104 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16105 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16106 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16107 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16108 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16110 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16111 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16113 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16114 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16118 @node Kibozed Groups
16119 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16123 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16124 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16125 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16126 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16128 @kindex G k (Group)
16129 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16132 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16133 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16134 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16135 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16137 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16138 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16139 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16141 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16142 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16143 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16144 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16145 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16146 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16147 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16148 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16150 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16151 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16152 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16153 Stranger things have happened.
16155 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16156 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16158 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16159 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16160 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16161 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16162 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16163 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16165 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16166 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16169 @node Gnus Unplugged
16170 @section Gnus Unplugged
16175 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16177 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16178 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16179 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16180 read news. Believe it or not.
16182 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16183 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16184 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16185 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16186 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16188 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16189 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16190 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16191 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16192 reading news on a machine.
16194 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16195 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16197 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16200 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16201 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16202 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16203 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16204 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16205 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16206 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16207 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16208 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16209 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16210 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16215 @subsection Agent Basics
16217 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16219 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16220 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16221 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16222 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16224 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16225 connected to the net continuously.
16227 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16228 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16230 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16235 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16236 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16237 already fetched while in this mode.
16240 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16241 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16242 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16243 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16244 Source Specifiers}).
16247 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16248 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16249 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16250 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16251 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16254 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16255 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16256 then you read the news offline.
16259 And then you go to step 2.
16262 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16268 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16269 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16270 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16271 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16272 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16273 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16274 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16275 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16278 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16285 @node Agent Categories
16286 @subsection Agent Categories
16288 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16289 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16290 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16291 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16292 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16293 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16294 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16296 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16297 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16298 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16299 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16300 managing categories.
16303 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16304 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16305 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16309 @node Category Syntax
16310 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16312 A category consists of two things.
16316 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16317 are eligible for downloading; and
16320 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16321 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16322 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16325 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16326 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16327 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16328 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16330 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16331 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16332 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16334 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16335 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16336 operators sprinkled in between.
16338 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16340 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16341 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16347 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16348 short (for some value of ``short'').
16350 Here's a more complex predicate:
16359 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16360 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16363 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16364 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16365 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16367 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16368 you want to do, you can write your own.
16372 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16373 lines; default 100.
16376 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16377 lines; default 200.
16380 True iff the article has a download score less than
16381 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16384 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16385 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16388 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16389 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16390 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16399 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16400 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16401 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16404 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16405 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16406 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16407 something along the lines of the following:
16410 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16411 "Say whether an article is old."
16412 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16413 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16416 with the predicate then defined as:
16419 (not my-article-old-p)
16422 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16423 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16427 (require 'gnus-agent)
16428 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16429 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16430 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16433 and simply specify your predicate as:
16439 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16440 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16441 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16442 just don't give a damn.
16444 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16445 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16446 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16447 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16448 parameters like so:
16451 (agent-predicate . short)
16454 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16455 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16456 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16458 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16461 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16464 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16465 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16466 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16469 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16470 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16471 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16472 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16473 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16474 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16476 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16477 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16478 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16479 if it's to be specific to that group.
16481 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16488 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16489 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16495 Category specification
16499 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16505 Group Parameter specification
16508 (agent-score ("from"
16509 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16514 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16520 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16527 Category specification
16530 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16536 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16540 Group Parameter specification
16543 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16546 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16551 Use @code{normal} score files
16553 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16554 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16555 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16556 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16558 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16559 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16560 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16561 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16565 Category Specification
16572 Group Parameter specification
16575 (agent-score . file)
16580 @node Category Buffer
16581 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16583 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16584 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16585 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16587 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16591 @kindex q (Category)
16592 @findex gnus-category-exit
16593 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16596 @kindex k (Category)
16597 @findex gnus-category-kill
16598 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16601 @kindex c (Category)
16602 @findex gnus-category-copy
16603 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16606 @kindex a (Category)
16607 @findex gnus-category-add
16608 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16611 @kindex p (Category)
16612 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16613 Edit the predicate of the current category
16614 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16617 @kindex g (Category)
16618 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16619 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16620 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16623 @kindex s (Category)
16624 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16625 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16626 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16629 @kindex l (Category)
16630 @findex gnus-category-list
16631 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16635 @node Category Variables
16636 @subsubsection Category Variables
16639 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16640 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16641 Hook run in category buffers.
16643 @item gnus-category-line-format
16644 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16645 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16646 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16650 The name of the category.
16653 The number of groups in the category.
16656 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16657 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16658 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16660 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16661 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16662 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16664 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16665 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16666 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16668 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16669 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16670 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16673 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16674 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16675 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16681 @node Agent Commands
16682 @subsection Agent Commands
16684 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16685 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16686 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16690 * Group Agent Commands::
16691 * Summary Agent Commands::
16692 * Server Agent Commands::
16695 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16696 following incantation:
16698 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16700 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16705 @node Group Agent Commands
16706 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16710 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16711 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16712 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16713 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16716 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16717 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16718 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16721 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16722 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16723 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16724 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16727 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16728 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16729 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16730 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16733 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16734 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16735 Add the current group to an Agent category
16736 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16737 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16740 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16741 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16742 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16743 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16744 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16747 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16748 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16749 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16755 @node Summary Agent Commands
16756 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16760 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16761 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16762 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16765 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16766 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16767 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16768 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16771 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16772 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16773 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16776 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16777 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16778 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16781 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16782 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16783 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16784 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16789 @node Server Agent Commands
16790 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16794 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16795 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16796 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16797 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16800 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16801 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16802 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16803 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16808 @node Agent as Cache
16809 @subsection Agent as Cache
16811 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
16812 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
16813 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
16814 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
16815 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
16816 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
16817 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
16818 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
16819 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
16821 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
16822 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
16825 @subsection Agent Expiry
16827 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16828 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16829 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16830 @cindex Agent expiry
16831 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16834 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16835 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16836 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16837 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16838 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16839 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16841 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
16842 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
16843 expiry in different groups.
16846 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
16852 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
16853 method---it must always match all groups.
16855 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16856 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16857 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16858 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16859 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16861 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
16862 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
16863 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
16864 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
16866 @node Agent and IMAP
16867 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16869 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16870 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16871 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16872 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16874 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16875 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16876 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16877 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16879 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16880 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
16881 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
16882 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16884 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16885 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16886 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
16887 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
16888 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
16889 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16891 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
16892 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
16893 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16894 in the group buffer.
16896 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16897 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16902 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16905 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16909 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16910 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16911 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16912 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16913 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16914 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16915 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16916 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16919 @node Outgoing Messages
16920 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16922 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16923 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
16924 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
16926 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16927 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16928 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16929 messages in the draft group.
16933 @node Agent Variables
16934 @subsection Agent Variables
16937 @item gnus-agent-directory
16938 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16939 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16940 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16942 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16943 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16944 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16945 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16946 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16949 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16950 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16951 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16953 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16954 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16955 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16957 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16958 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16959 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
16961 @item gnus-agent-cache
16962 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
16963 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
16964 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
16965 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
16967 @item gnus-agent-go-online
16968 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
16969 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
16970 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
16971 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
16972 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
16973 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
16979 @node Example Setup
16980 @subsection Example Setup
16982 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16983 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16984 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16987 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16988 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16989 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16991 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16992 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16993 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16995 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16996 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16998 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16999 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17000 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17003 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17004 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17007 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17008 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17009 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17010 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17011 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17014 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17015 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17016 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17017 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17018 back all the killed groups.)
17020 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17021 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17022 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17025 @node Batching Agents
17026 @subsection Batching Agents
17028 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17029 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17030 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17034 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
17038 @node Agent Caveats
17039 @subsection Agent Caveats
17041 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17042 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17046 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17050 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17052 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17056 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17057 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17058 locally stored articles.
17065 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17066 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17067 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17070 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17071 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17072 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17073 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17074 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17076 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17077 before generating the summary buffer.
17079 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17080 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17081 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17083 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17084 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17085 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17086 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17089 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17090 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17091 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17092 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17093 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17094 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17095 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17096 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17097 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17098 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17099 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17100 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17101 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17102 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17103 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17104 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17105 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17109 @node Summary Score Commands
17110 @section Summary Score Commands
17111 @cindex score commands
17113 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17114 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17115 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17116 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17117 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17119 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17120 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17121 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17122 score file the current one.
17124 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17129 @kindex V s (Summary)
17130 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17131 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17134 @kindex V S (Summary)
17135 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17136 Display the score of the current article
17137 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17140 @kindex V t (Summary)
17141 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17142 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17143 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17146 @kindex V w (Summary)
17147 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17148 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17151 @kindex V R (Summary)
17152 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17153 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17154 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17155 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17156 effect you're having.
17159 @kindex V c (Summary)
17160 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17161 Make a different score file the current
17162 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17165 @kindex V e (Summary)
17166 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17167 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17168 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17172 @kindex V f (Summary)
17173 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17174 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17175 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17178 @kindex V F (Summary)
17179 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17180 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17181 after editing score files.
17184 @kindex V C (Summary)
17185 @findex gnus-score-customize
17186 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17187 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17191 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17196 @kindex V m (Summary)
17197 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17198 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17199 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17202 @kindex V x (Summary)
17203 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17204 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17205 expunge all articles below this score
17206 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17209 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17210 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17213 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17214 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17218 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17219 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17221 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17222 keys are available:
17226 Score on the author name.
17229 Score on the subject line.
17232 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17235 Score on the @code{References} line.
17241 Score on the number of lines.
17244 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17247 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17248 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17251 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17252 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17253 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17262 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17268 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17269 what headers you are scoring on.
17281 Substring matching.
17284 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17313 Greater than number.
17318 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17319 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17320 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17325 Temporary score entry.
17328 Permanent score entry.
17331 Immediately scoring.
17335 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17336 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17337 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17341 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17342 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17343 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17344 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17346 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17347 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17348 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17349 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17350 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17352 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17353 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17354 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17355 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17356 current score file.
17358 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17359 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17360 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17363 @node Group Score Commands
17364 @section Group Score Commands
17365 @cindex group score commands
17367 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17372 @kindex W f (Group)
17373 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17374 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17375 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17376 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17380 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17382 @findex gnus-batch-score
17383 @cindex batch scoring
17385 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17389 @node Score Variables
17390 @section Score Variables
17391 @cindex score variables
17395 @item gnus-use-scoring
17396 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17397 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17398 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17400 @item gnus-kill-killed
17401 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17402 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17403 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17404 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17405 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17406 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17407 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17409 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17410 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17411 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17412 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17413 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17415 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17416 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17417 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17418 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17420 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17421 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17422 @cindex score cache
17423 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17424 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17425 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
17426 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17427 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17428 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17431 @item gnus-save-score
17432 @vindex gnus-save-score
17433 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17434 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17435 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17437 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17438 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17439 across group visits.
17441 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17442 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17443 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17444 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17445 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17446 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17447 manually entered data.
17449 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17450 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17451 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17453 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17454 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17455 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17456 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17457 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17458 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17460 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17461 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17462 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17463 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17465 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17466 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17467 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17468 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17470 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17471 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17472 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17473 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17475 Predefined functions available are:
17478 @item gnus-score-find-single
17479 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17480 Only apply the group's own score file.
17482 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17483 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17484 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17485 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17486 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17487 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17488 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17489 then a regexp match is done.
17491 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17492 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17494 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17495 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17496 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17497 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17499 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17500 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17501 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17502 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17503 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17507 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17508 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17509 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17510 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17511 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17512 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17513 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17516 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17517 overall score file, you could use the value
17519 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17520 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17523 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17524 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17525 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17526 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17527 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17529 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17530 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17531 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17532 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17533 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17534 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17535 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17536 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17538 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17539 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17540 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17542 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17543 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17544 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17545 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17546 threading---according to the current value of
17547 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17548 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17549 simplified in this manner.
17554 @node Score File Format
17555 @section Score File Format
17556 @cindex score file format
17558 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17559 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17560 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17562 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17566 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17568 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17570 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17572 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17577 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17581 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17582 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17583 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17584 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17588 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17589 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17591 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17592 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17593 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17595 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17600 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17601 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17602 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17603 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17604 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17605 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17606 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17607 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17608 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17609 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17610 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17611 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17612 to articles that matches these score entries.
17614 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17615 score entry has one to four elements.
17619 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17620 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17624 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17625 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17626 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17627 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17628 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17629 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17632 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17633 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17634 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17635 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17636 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17639 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17640 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17641 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17642 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17645 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17646 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17647 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17648 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17649 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17650 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17651 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17652 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17653 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17654 instead, if you feel like.
17657 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17658 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17659 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17660 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17661 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17662 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17665 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17669 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17670 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17672 These predicates are true if
17675 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17678 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17679 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17686 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17687 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17688 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17689 it's not. I think.)
17691 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17692 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17693 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17694 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17697 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17698 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17699 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17700 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17701 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17702 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17703 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17707 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17708 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17709 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17710 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17711 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17712 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17713 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17714 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17717 @item Head, Body, All
17718 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17722 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17723 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17724 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17725 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17726 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17727 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17728 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17732 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17733 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17734 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17735 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17736 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17737 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17738 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17739 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17740 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17741 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17742 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17746 @cindex Score File Atoms
17748 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17749 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17752 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17753 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17755 @item mark-and-expunge
17756 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17757 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17760 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17761 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17762 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17763 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17764 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17767 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17768 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17771 @item exclude-files
17772 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17773 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17777 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17778 ignored when handling global score files.
17781 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17782 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17783 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17784 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17787 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17788 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17789 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17790 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17792 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17796 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17799 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17800 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17801 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17802 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17803 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17805 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17806 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17807 scoring rules exist.
17810 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17811 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17812 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17813 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17814 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17815 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17816 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17817 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17818 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17819 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17820 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17824 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17825 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17826 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17827 file for a number of groups.
17830 @cindex local variables
17831 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17832 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17833 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17834 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17835 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17839 @node Score File Editing
17840 @section Score File Editing
17842 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17843 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17844 with a mode for that.
17846 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17847 additional commands:
17852 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17853 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17854 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17855 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17858 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17859 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17860 Insert the current date in numerical format
17861 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17862 you were wondering.
17865 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17866 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17867 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17868 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17869 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17874 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17876 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17877 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17879 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17880 e} to begin editing score files.
17883 @node Adaptive Scoring
17884 @section Adaptive Scoring
17885 @cindex adaptive scoring
17887 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17888 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17889 stupidity, to be precise.
17891 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17892 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17893 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17894 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17895 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17896 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17897 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17898 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17899 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17901 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17902 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17903 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17904 might look something like this:
17907 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17908 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17909 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17910 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17911 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17912 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17913 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17914 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17915 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17916 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17917 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17918 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17921 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17922 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17923 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17924 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17925 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17926 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17929 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17930 will be applied to each article.
17932 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17933 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17934 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17935 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17937 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17938 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17939 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17940 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17942 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17943 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17944 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17945 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17947 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17948 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17949 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17950 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17951 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17952 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17954 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17955 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17956 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17957 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17958 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17959 aspirins afterwards.)
17961 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17962 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17963 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17965 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17966 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17967 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17969 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17970 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17971 let you use different rules in different groups.
17973 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17974 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17975 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17978 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17979 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17980 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17981 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17982 the length of the match is less than
17983 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17984 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17987 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17988 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17989 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17990 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17991 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17994 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17995 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17996 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17997 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17998 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18001 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18002 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18003 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18004 score with 30 points.
18006 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18007 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18008 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18009 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18010 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18012 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18013 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18014 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18015 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18016 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
18018 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18019 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18020 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18021 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18023 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18024 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18025 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18026 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18028 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18029 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18030 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18031 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18032 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18034 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18035 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18036 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18038 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18039 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18040 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18041 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18044 @node Home Score File
18045 @section Home Score File
18047 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18048 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18049 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18050 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18052 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18053 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18054 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18056 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18057 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18062 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18066 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18067 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18071 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18075 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18076 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18079 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18080 the home score file.
18083 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18086 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18091 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18094 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18095 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18098 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18099 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18101 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18103 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18104 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18107 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18108 Other functions include
18111 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18112 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18113 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18114 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18118 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18119 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18120 their own home score files:
18123 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18124 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18125 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18126 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18127 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18130 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18131 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18132 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18133 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18134 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18136 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18137 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18138 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18139 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18140 precedence over this variable.
18143 @node Followups To Yourself
18144 @section Followups To Yourself
18146 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18147 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18148 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18149 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18150 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18151 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18155 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18156 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18157 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18160 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18161 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18162 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18166 @vindex message-sent-hook
18167 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18168 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18170 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18174 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18175 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18179 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18180 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18183 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18184 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18189 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18193 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18194 is system-dependent.
18197 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18198 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18199 @cindex scoring on other headers
18201 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18202 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18203 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18204 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18205 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18207 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18208 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18209 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18210 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18211 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18213 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18216 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18217 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18220 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18221 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18222 time if you have much mail.
18224 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18225 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18231 @section Scoring Tips
18232 @cindex scoring tips
18238 @cindex scoring crossposts
18239 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18240 the @code{Xref} header.
18242 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18245 @item Multiple crossposts
18246 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18247 more than, say, 3 groups:
18250 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18254 @item Matching on the body
18255 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18256 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18257 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18258 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18259 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18260 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18261 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18264 @item Marking as read
18265 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18266 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18267 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18271 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18273 @item Negated character classes
18274 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18275 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18276 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18280 @node Reverse Scoring
18281 @section Reverse Scoring
18282 @cindex reverse scoring
18284 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18285 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18286 like this in your score file:
18290 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18295 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18296 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18299 @node Global Score Files
18300 @section Global Score Files
18301 @cindex global score files
18303 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18304 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18305 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18307 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18308 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18309 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18311 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18312 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18313 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18314 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18315 files are applicable to which group.
18317 To use the score file
18318 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18319 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18323 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18324 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18325 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18328 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18330 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18331 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18332 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18333 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18335 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18336 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18338 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18339 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18340 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18341 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18342 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18343 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18345 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18351 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18353 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18355 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18357 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18358 lowered out of existence.
18360 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18361 articles completely.
18364 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18365 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18366 old articles for a long time.
18369 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18370 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18371 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18372 holding our breath yet?
18376 @section Kill Files
18379 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18380 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18381 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18383 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18384 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18385 files into score files.
18387 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18388 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18389 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18390 that isn't a very good idea.
18392 Normal kill files look like this:
18395 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18396 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18400 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18401 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18403 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18404 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18407 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18412 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18413 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18414 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18417 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18418 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18419 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18422 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18427 @kindex M-k (Group)
18428 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18429 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18432 @kindex M-K (Group)
18433 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18434 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18437 Kill file variables:
18440 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18441 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18442 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18443 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18444 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18445 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18446 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18448 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18449 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18450 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18451 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18454 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18455 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18456 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18457 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18458 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18459 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18460 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18461 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18462 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18464 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18465 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18466 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18471 @node Converting Kill Files
18472 @section Converting Kill Files
18474 @cindex converting kill files
18476 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18477 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18478 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18481 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18482 You can fetch it from
18483 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18485 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18486 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18487 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18495 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18496 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18497 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18498 news articles generated every day.
18500 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18501 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18502 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18503 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18504 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18505 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18506 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18507 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18510 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18511 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18514 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18515 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18516 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18517 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18521 @node Using GroupLens
18522 @subsection Using GroupLens
18524 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18526 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18527 better bit in town at the moment.
18529 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18533 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18534 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18535 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18536 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18538 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18539 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18540 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18541 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18543 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18544 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18545 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18549 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18550 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18551 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18552 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18553 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18554 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18557 @node Rating Articles
18558 @subsection Rating Articles
18560 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18561 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18562 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18563 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18566 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18571 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18572 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18573 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18576 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18577 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18578 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18579 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18580 threads in rec.humor.
18584 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18585 the score of the article you're reading.
18590 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18591 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18592 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18595 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18596 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18597 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18601 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18602 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18605 @node Displaying Predictions
18606 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18608 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18609 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18610 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18611 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18612 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18614 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18615 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18616 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18617 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18618 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18619 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18620 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18621 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18622 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18623 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18624 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18625 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18626 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18628 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18629 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18630 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18631 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18633 The following are valid values for that variable.
18636 @item prediction-spot
18637 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18640 @item confidence-interval
18641 A numeric confidence interval.
18643 @item prediction-bar
18644 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18646 @item confidence-bar
18647 Numerical confidence.
18649 @item confidence-spot
18650 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18652 @item prediction-num
18653 Plain-old numeric value.
18655 @item confidence-plus-minus
18656 Prediction +/- confidence.
18661 @node GroupLens Variables
18662 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18666 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18667 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18668 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18669 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18672 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18673 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18676 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18677 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18679 @item grouplens-score-offset
18680 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18681 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18684 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18685 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18686 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18691 @node Advanced Scoring
18692 @section Advanced Scoring
18694 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18695 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18696 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18697 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18698 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18700 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18704 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18705 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18706 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18710 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18711 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18713 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18714 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18715 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18716 non-@code{nil} value.
18718 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18719 operator, and various match operators.
18726 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18727 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18728 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18733 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18734 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18735 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18740 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18741 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18745 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18746 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18747 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18748 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18749 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18750 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18751 the ancestry you want to go.
18753 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18754 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18755 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18756 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18757 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18760 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18761 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18763 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18764 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18767 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18768 when he's talking about Gnus:
18772 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18773 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18779 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18783 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18790 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18791 really don't want to read what he's written:
18795 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18796 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18800 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18801 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18802 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18809 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18810 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18811 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18812 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18816 The possibilities are endless.
18819 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18820 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18822 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18823 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18824 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18825 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18826 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18827 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18828 @samp{subject}) first.
18830 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18831 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18842 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18843 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18849 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18856 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18857 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18862 @section Score Decays
18863 @cindex score decays
18866 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18867 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18868 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18869 use them in any sensible way.
18871 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18872 @findex gnus-decay-score
18873 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18874 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18875 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18876 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18877 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18878 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18879 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18880 definition of that function:
18883 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18885 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18886 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18889 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18891 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18893 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18896 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18897 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18898 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18899 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18903 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18906 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18909 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18913 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18914 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18915 the new score, which should be an integer.
18917 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18918 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18923 @include message.texi
18924 @chapter Emacs MIME
18925 @include emacs-mime.texi
18927 @include sieve.texi
18935 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18936 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18937 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18938 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18939 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18940 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18941 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18942 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18943 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18944 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18945 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18946 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18947 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18948 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
18949 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18950 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
18951 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18952 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18953 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18957 @node Process/Prefix
18958 @section Process/Prefix
18959 @cindex process/prefix convention
18961 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18962 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18964 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18965 command to be performed on.
18969 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18970 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18971 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18972 with the current one.
18974 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18975 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18976 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18978 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18979 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18982 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18983 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18985 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18988 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18989 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18990 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18991 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18993 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18994 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18995 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18996 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18997 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18998 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18999 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19000 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19002 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19003 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19004 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19005 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19006 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19010 @section Interactive
19011 @cindex interaction
19015 @item gnus-novice-user
19016 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19017 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19018 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19019 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19020 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19023 @item gnus-expert-user
19024 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19025 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19026 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19027 matter how strange.
19029 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19030 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19031 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19032 is @code{t} by default.
19034 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19035 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19036 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19041 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19042 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19043 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19045 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19046 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19047 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19048 rule of 900 to the current article.
19050 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19051 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19052 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19053 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19054 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19055 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19056 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19058 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19059 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19060 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19061 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19062 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19063 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19064 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19065 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19066 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19068 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19069 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19070 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19072 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19076 @node Formatting Variables
19077 @section Formatting Variables
19078 @cindex formatting variables
19080 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19081 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19082 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19083 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19084 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19087 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19088 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19089 lots of percentages everywhere.
19092 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19093 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19094 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19095 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19096 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19097 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19098 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19099 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19102 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19103 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19104 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19105 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19106 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19107 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19108 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19109 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19111 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19112 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19114 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19115 @findex gnus-update-format
19116 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19117 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19118 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19119 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19123 @node Formatting Basics
19124 @subsection Formatting Basics
19126 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19127 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19128 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19130 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19131 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19132 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19133 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19134 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19137 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19138 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19139 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19140 less than 4 characters wide.
19142 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19143 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19146 @node Mode Line Formatting
19147 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19149 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19150 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19151 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19152 with the following two differences:
19157 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19160 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19161 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19162 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19163 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19164 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19165 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19166 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19171 @node Advanced Formatting
19172 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19174 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19175 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19176 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19177 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19179 These are the valid modifiers:
19184 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19188 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19193 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19196 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19201 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19204 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19207 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19210 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19216 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19221 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19222 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19223 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19224 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19225 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19226 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19227 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19229 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19230 last operation, padding.
19232 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19233 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
19234 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
19235 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
19236 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
19237 the look of your lines.
19238 @xref{Compilation}.
19241 @node User-Defined Specs
19242 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19244 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19245 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19246 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19247 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19248 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19249 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19250 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19251 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19252 should protect against that.
19254 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19255 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19257 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19258 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19259 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19260 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19264 @node Formatting Fonts
19265 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19267 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19268 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19269 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19270 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19273 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19274 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19275 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19276 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19277 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19278 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19280 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
19281 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
19282 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
19283 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
19284 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
19285 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
19286 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
19287 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
19289 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19292 ;; Create three face types.
19293 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19294 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19296 ;; We want the article count to be in
19297 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19298 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19299 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19301 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19302 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19304 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19305 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19306 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19309 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19310 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19312 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19313 mode-line variables.
19315 @node Positioning Point
19316 @subsection Positioning Point
19318 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19319 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19320 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19322 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19324 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19325 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19326 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19328 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19329 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19330 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19335 @subsection Tabulation
19337 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19338 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19339 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19340 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19342 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19343 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19345 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19346 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19347 This is the soft tabulator.
19349 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19350 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19351 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19354 @node Wide Characters
19355 @subsection Wide Characters
19357 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19358 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19359 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19361 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19362 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19363 these coutries, that's not true.
19365 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19366 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19367 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19368 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
19372 @node Window Layout
19373 @section Window Layout
19374 @cindex window layout
19376 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19378 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19379 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19380 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19381 @code{t} by default.
19383 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19384 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19386 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19387 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19388 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19391 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19392 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19393 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19397 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19398 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19399 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19400 possible names is listed below.
19402 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19403 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19406 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19410 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19411 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19412 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19413 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19414 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19415 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19416 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19417 size spec per split.
19419 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19420 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19421 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19422 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19423 present) gets focus.
19425 Here's a more complicated example:
19428 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19429 (summary 0.25 point)
19430 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19434 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19435 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19436 occupy, not a percentage.
19438 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19439 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19440 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19441 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19442 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19445 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19448 (article (horizontal 1.0
19453 (summary 0.25 point)
19458 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19459 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19461 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19462 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19463 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19464 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19465 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19467 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19468 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19469 lines from the splits.
19471 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19475 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19476 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19477 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19478 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19479 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19480 size = number | frame-params
19481 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19484 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19485 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19486 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19487 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19489 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19490 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19491 @cindex window height
19492 @cindex window width
19493 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19494 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19495 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19496 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19497 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19498 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19500 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19501 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19502 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19503 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19505 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19506 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19507 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19508 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19509 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19510 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19511 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19512 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19513 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19514 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19515 configuration list.
19518 (gnus-configure-frame
19522 (article 0.3 point))
19530 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19531 @code{frame} split:
19534 (gnus-configure-frame
19537 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19539 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19540 (user-position . t)
19541 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19546 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19547 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19548 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19549 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19550 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19551 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19552 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19553 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19555 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19556 be found in its default value.
19558 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19559 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19560 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19564 (message (horizontal 1.0
19565 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19567 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19572 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19573 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19574 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19579 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19580 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19581 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19582 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19583 (name . "Message"))
19584 (message 1.0 point))))
19587 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19588 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19589 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19590 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19591 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19594 (gnus-add-configuration
19595 '(article (vertical 1.0
19597 (summary .25 point)
19601 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19602 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19603 Gnus has been loaded.
19605 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19606 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19607 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19608 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19609 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19611 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19612 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19613 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19616 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19620 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19621 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19636 (gnus-add-configuration
19639 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19641 (summary 0.16 point)
19644 (gnus-add-configuration
19647 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19648 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19654 @node Faces and Fonts
19655 @section Faces and Fonts
19660 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19661 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19662 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19667 @section Compilation
19668 @cindex compilation
19669 @cindex byte-compilation
19671 @findex gnus-compile
19673 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19674 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19675 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
19676 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
19677 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
19678 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19679 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19680 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19683 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19684 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19685 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19686 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
19687 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19690 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
19691 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19692 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
19693 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
19694 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
19699 @section Mode Lines
19702 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19703 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19704 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19705 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19706 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19707 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19708 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19711 @cindex display-time
19713 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19714 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19715 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19716 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19717 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19718 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19719 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19720 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19723 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19725 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19726 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19728 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19729 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19730 (length display-time-string)))))
19733 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19734 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19735 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19736 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19737 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19740 @node Highlighting and Menus
19741 @section Highlighting and Menus
19743 @cindex highlighting
19746 @vindex gnus-visual
19747 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19748 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19749 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19752 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19753 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19756 @item group-highlight
19757 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19758 @item summary-highlight
19759 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19760 @item article-highlight
19761 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19763 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19765 Create menus in the group buffer.
19767 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19769 Create menus in the article buffer.
19771 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19773 Create menus in the server buffer.
19775 Create menus in the score buffers.
19777 Create menus in all buffers.
19780 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19781 buffers, you could say something like:
19784 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19787 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19790 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19793 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19794 in all Gnus buffers.
19796 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19799 @item gnus-mouse-face
19800 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19801 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19802 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19806 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19810 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19811 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19812 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19814 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19815 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19816 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19818 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19819 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19820 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19822 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19823 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19824 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19826 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19827 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19828 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19830 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19831 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19832 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19843 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19844 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19845 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19846 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19847 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19851 @vindex gnus-carpal
19852 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19853 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19854 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19859 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19860 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19861 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19863 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19864 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19865 Face used on buttons.
19867 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19868 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19869 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19871 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19872 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19873 Buttons in the group buffer.
19875 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19876 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19877 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19879 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19880 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19881 Buttons in the server buffer.
19883 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19884 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19885 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19888 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19889 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19890 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19898 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19899 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19900 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19901 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19902 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19904 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19905 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19906 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19908 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19909 been idle for thirty minutes:
19912 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19915 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19919 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19922 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19923 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19924 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19926 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19927 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19928 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19929 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19931 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19932 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19933 @var{idle} minutes.
19935 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19936 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19939 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19940 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19941 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19943 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19944 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19945 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19946 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19948 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19949 your @file{.gnus} file:
19951 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19953 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19956 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19957 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19958 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19959 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19960 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19961 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19962 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19963 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19964 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19965 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19966 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19968 @findex gnus-demon-init
19969 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19970 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19971 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19972 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19973 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19975 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19976 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19977 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19986 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19987 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19989 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19990 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19991 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19992 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19995 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19996 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19997 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19998 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20000 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20001 this will make spam disappear.
20003 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20006 @item gnus-use-nocem
20007 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20008 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20011 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20012 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20013 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20014 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20015 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20017 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20018 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20019 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20020 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20021 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20022 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20024 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20025 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20027 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20028 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20029 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20030 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20031 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20032 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20033 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20034 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20035 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20036 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20038 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20039 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20042 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20045 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20046 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20049 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20052 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20055 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20056 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20058 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20059 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20060 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20061 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20063 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20064 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20067 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20069 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20077 This might be dangerous, though.
20079 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20080 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20081 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20082 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20084 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20085 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20086 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20087 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20088 might then see old spam.
20090 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20091 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20092 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20093 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20094 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20097 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20098 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20099 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20100 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20104 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20105 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20106 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20107 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20114 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20115 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20116 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20118 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20119 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20120 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20121 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20122 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20123 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20124 @code{undo} function.
20126 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20127 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20128 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20129 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20130 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20131 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20132 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20133 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20134 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20135 never be totally undoable.
20137 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20138 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20140 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20141 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20142 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20143 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20147 @node Predicate Specifiers
20148 @section Predicate Specifiers
20149 @cindex predicate specifiers
20151 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20152 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20153 to type all that much.
20155 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20160 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20161 gnus-article-unread-p)
20164 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20165 functions all take one parameter.
20167 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20168 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20169 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20170 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20175 @section Moderation
20178 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20179 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20180 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20183 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20187 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20190 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20192 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20197 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20198 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20199 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20202 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20203 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20206 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20207 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20211 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20214 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20215 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20219 @node Image Enhancements
20220 @section Image Enhancements
20222 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20223 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20226 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20227 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20228 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20229 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20230 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20243 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20244 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20245 over your shoulder as you read news.
20248 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20249 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20250 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20251 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20252 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20257 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20259 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20268 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20269 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20270 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20271 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20272 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20273 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20274 @code{GIF} formats.
20277 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20278 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20279 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20280 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20281 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20283 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20284 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20285 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20286 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20287 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20288 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20290 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20291 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20294 @node Picon Requirements
20295 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20297 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20298 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20299 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20300 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20302 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20303 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20304 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20305 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20306 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20307 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20310 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20312 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20313 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20316 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20317 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20320 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20321 containing the Picons databases.
20323 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20326 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20327 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20332 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20340 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20341 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20342 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20343 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20344 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20349 @item gnus-picons-database
20350 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20351 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20352 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20353 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20354 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20355 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20357 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20358 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20359 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20360 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20361 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20362 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20363 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20365 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20366 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20367 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20368 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20369 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20370 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20371 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20372 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20374 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20375 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20376 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20381 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20382 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20384 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20385 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20388 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20390 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20391 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20392 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20393 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20395 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20396 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20397 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20398 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20404 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20405 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20413 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20414 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20415 don't need to worry about.
20419 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20420 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20421 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20422 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20424 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20425 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20426 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20427 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20429 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20430 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20431 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20432 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20433 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20435 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20436 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20437 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20438 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20439 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20440 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20441 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20442 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20444 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20445 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20446 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20447 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20448 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20450 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20451 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20452 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20453 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20454 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20455 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20456 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20458 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20459 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20460 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20461 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20463 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20464 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20465 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20466 Defaults to @code{t}.
20468 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20469 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20470 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20471 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20473 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20474 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20475 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20477 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20478 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20479 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20480 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20482 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20483 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20485 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20486 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20487 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20488 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20489 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20490 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20491 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20492 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20503 @subsection Smileys
20508 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20513 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20514 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20516 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20517 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20520 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20523 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20524 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20525 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20526 text and maps that to file names.
20528 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20529 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20530 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20531 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20532 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20533 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20535 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20536 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20538 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20539 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20540 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20542 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20543 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20547 @item smiley-data-directory
20548 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20549 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20551 @item smiley-flesh-color
20552 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20553 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20555 @item smiley-features-color
20556 @vindex smiley-features-color
20557 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20559 @item smiley-tongue-color
20560 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20561 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20563 @item smiley-circle-color
20564 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20565 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20567 @item smiley-mouse-face
20568 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20569 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20578 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20579 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20580 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20584 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20585 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20586 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20587 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20595 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20596 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20597 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20598 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20600 The variable that controls this is the
20601 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20602 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20603 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20604 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20605 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20607 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20608 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20609 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20610 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20613 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20614 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20615 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20616 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20617 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20618 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20619 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20620 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20622 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20625 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20626 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20628 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20629 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20630 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20631 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20632 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20633 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20635 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20636 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20637 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20639 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20640 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20643 (setq message-required-news-headers
20644 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20645 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20648 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20651 (setq message-required-news-headers
20652 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20653 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20654 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20655 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20660 @subsection Toolbar
20670 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20671 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20672 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20673 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20674 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20676 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20677 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20678 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20680 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20681 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20682 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20684 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20685 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20686 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20692 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20695 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20696 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20697 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20698 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20699 unusual directory structure.
20701 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20702 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20703 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20704 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20706 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20707 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20708 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20709 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20710 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20711 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20713 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20714 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20715 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20729 @node Fuzzy Matching
20730 @section Fuzzy Matching
20731 @cindex fuzzy matching
20733 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20734 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20736 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20737 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20738 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20740 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20741 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20742 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20743 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20744 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20747 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20748 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20752 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20754 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20755 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20756 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20757 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20758 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20759 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20760 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20761 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20764 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20765 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20766 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20767 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20768 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20769 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20774 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
20775 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
20776 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
20779 @node Anti-Spam Basics
20780 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
20784 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20786 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20787 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20789 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20790 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20791 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20792 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20793 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20794 part of the mail address.)
20797 (setq message-default-news-headers
20798 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20801 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20802 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20807 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20808 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20809 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20815 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20816 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20817 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20818 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20820 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
20821 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20822 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20823 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20824 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20825 your fancy split rule in this way:
20830 (to "larsi" "misc")
20834 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20835 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20836 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20837 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20838 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20840 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20841 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20842 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20843 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20844 cosmic balance somewhat.
20846 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20847 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20848 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20849 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20854 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
20855 @cindex SpamAssassin
20856 @cindex Vipul's Razor
20859 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
20860 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
20861 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
20862 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
20863 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
20864 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
20865 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
20867 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
20868 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
20869 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
20870 Specifiers}) follows.
20874 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
20877 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
20880 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
20881 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
20882 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
20885 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
20889 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20892 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
20893 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
20897 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
20898 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
20899 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
20900 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
20903 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
20905 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
20907 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
20908 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
20910 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
20912 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
20913 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
20917 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
20918 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
20919 spam. And here is the nifty function:
20922 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
20923 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
20925 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
20926 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
20927 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
20931 @subsection Hashcash
20934 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
20935 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
20936 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
20937 since it is not part of the internet standards, but it may be useful
20938 in smaller communities.
20940 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
20941 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
20942 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
20943 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
20944 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
20945 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
20946 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
20947 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
20948 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
20949 one of them separately.
20952 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
20953 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
20954 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
20955 header. For more details, and for the external application
20956 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
20957 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
20958 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
20960 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
20964 (require 'hashcash)
20965 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
20968 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
20969 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
20970 development contrib directory.
20972 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
20976 @item hashcash-default-payment
20977 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
20978 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
20979 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
20980 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
20982 @item hashcash-payment-alist
20983 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
20984 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
20985 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
20986 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
20987 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
20988 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
20989 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
20993 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
20997 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
20998 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
20999 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21000 a useful contribution, however.
21002 @node Various Various
21003 @section Various Various
21009 @item gnus-home-directory
21010 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
21011 defaults to @file{~/}.
21013 @item gnus-directory
21014 @vindex gnus-directory
21015 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
21016 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
21017 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
21019 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
21020 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
21021 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
21022 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
21024 @item gnus-default-directory
21025 @vindex gnus-default-directory
21026 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
21027 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
21028 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
21029 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
21030 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
21031 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
21034 @vindex gnus-verbose
21035 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
21036 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
21037 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
21038 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
21039 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
21041 @item gnus-verbose-backends
21042 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
21043 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
21044 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
21046 @item nnheader-max-head-length
21047 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
21048 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
21049 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
21050 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
21051 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
21052 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
21053 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
21054 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
21055 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
21057 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
21058 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
21059 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
21060 read when doing the operation described above.
21062 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21063 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21065 @cindex invalid characters in file names
21066 @cindex characters in file names
21067 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
21068 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
21069 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
21072 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21076 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
21077 Windows (phooey) systems.
21079 @item gnus-hidden-properties
21080 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
21081 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
21082 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
21083 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
21085 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
21086 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
21087 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
21088 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
21089 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
21091 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
21092 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
21093 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
21095 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21096 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21098 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
21099 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
21100 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
21101 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
21104 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
21112 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
21113 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
21115 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
21117 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
21123 Not because of victories @*
21126 but for the common sunshine,@*
21128 the largess of the spring.
21132 but for the day's work done@*
21133 as well as I was able;@*
21134 not for a seat upon the dais@*
21135 but at the common table.@*
21140 @chapter Appendices
21143 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
21144 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
21145 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
21146 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
21147 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
21148 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
21149 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
21150 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
21151 * Frequently Asked Questions::
21158 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
21160 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
21161 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
21162 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
21163 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
21164 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
21171 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
21172 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
21174 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
21175 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
21176 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
21177 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
21178 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
21180 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
21181 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
21182 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
21183 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
21184 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
21185 appropriate name, don't you think?)
21187 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
21188 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
21189 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
21190 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
21193 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
21194 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
21195 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
21196 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
21197 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
21198 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
21199 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
21200 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
21201 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
21205 @node Gnus Versions
21206 @subsection Gnus Versions
21208 @cindex September Gnus
21210 @cindex Quassia Gnus
21211 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
21215 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
21216 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
21217 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
21219 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
21220 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
21222 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
21223 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
21225 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
21226 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
21228 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
21229 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
21232 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
21234 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
21235 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
21236 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
21237 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
21238 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
21239 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
21242 @node Other Gnus Versions
21243 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
21246 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
21247 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
21248 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
21249 @sc{mime} capabilities.
21251 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
21252 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
21253 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
21254 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
21261 What's the point of Gnus?
21263 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
21264 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
21265 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
21266 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
21267 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
21268 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
21269 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
21270 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
21271 keep track of millions of people who post?
21273 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
21274 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
21275 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
21276 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
21277 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
21278 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
21279 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
21280 every one of you to explore and invent.
21282 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
21283 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
21286 @node Compatibility
21287 @subsection Compatibility
21289 @cindex compatibility
21290 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
21291 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
21292 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
21297 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
21301 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
21304 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
21307 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
21308 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
21309 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
21310 important variables have their values copied into their global
21311 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
21312 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
21314 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
21315 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
21316 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
21317 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
21318 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
21322 @cindex highlighting
21323 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
21324 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
21325 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
21326 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
21327 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
21328 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
21331 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
21332 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
21333 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
21334 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
21336 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
21337 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
21338 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
21339 to stop doing it the old way.
21341 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
21343 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21345 @cindex reporting bugs
21347 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
21348 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
21349 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
21351 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
21352 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
21353 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
21354 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
21359 @subsection Conformity
21361 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
21362 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
21370 There are no known breaches of this standard.
21374 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
21376 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
21377 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
21378 We do have some breaches to this one.
21384 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
21385 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
21386 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
21387 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
21388 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
21393 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
21394 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
21395 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
21396 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
21398 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
21400 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
21402 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
21403 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
21405 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
21408 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
21409 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
21410 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
21411 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
21412 decoding (verification and decryption).
21414 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
21415 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
21416 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
21417 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
21419 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
21420 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
21422 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
21423 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
21424 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
21425 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
21426 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
21427 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
21428 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
21432 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
21433 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
21438 @subsection Emacsen
21444 Gnus should work on :
21452 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
21456 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
21457 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
21458 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
21459 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
21460 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
21462 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
21463 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
21464 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
21468 @node Gnus Development
21469 @subsection Gnus Development
21471 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
21472 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
21473 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
21474 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
21475 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
21476 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
21477 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
21478 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
21480 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
21481 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
21482 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
21483 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
21484 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
21487 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
21488 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
21489 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
21490 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
21491 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
21493 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
21494 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
21495 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
21496 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
21497 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
21498 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
21499 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
21500 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
21501 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
21502 can't be assumed to do so.
21507 @subsection Contributors
21508 @cindex contributors
21510 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
21511 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
21512 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
21513 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
21514 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
21515 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
21516 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
21517 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
21518 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
21519 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
21521 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
21527 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
21530 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
21531 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
21532 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
21533 functionality and stuff.
21536 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
21537 well as numerous other things).
21540 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
21543 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
21546 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
21549 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
21552 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
21553 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
21556 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
21559 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
21560 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21563 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
21566 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
21569 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
21572 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
21575 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
21576 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
21579 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
21582 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
21585 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
21588 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
21592 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
21595 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
21598 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
21601 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
21602 well as autoconf support.
21606 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
21607 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
21609 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
21618 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
21622 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
21632 Alexei V. Barantsev,
21647 Massimo Campostrini,
21652 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
21653 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
21657 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
21660 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
21666 Michael Welsh Duggan,
21671 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
21675 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
21683 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
21685 Michelangelo Grigni,
21689 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
21691 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
21693 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21700 François Felix Ingrand,
21701 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21702 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21704 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21715 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21716 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21718 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21719 Thor Kristoffersen,
21722 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21740 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21741 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21748 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21753 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21757 John McClary Prevost,
21763 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21768 Christian von Roques,
21771 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21778 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21780 Randal L. Schwartz,
21794 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21799 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21815 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21820 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21821 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21822 (550kB and counting).
21824 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21827 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21828 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21832 @subsection New Features
21833 @cindex new features
21836 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21837 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21838 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21839 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21840 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21843 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21844 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21845 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21848 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21850 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21855 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21856 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21859 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21860 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21863 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21866 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21867 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21868 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21871 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21872 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21873 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21874 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21877 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21878 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21881 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21882 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21883 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21886 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21887 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21890 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21891 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21892 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21895 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21896 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21897 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21900 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21901 the @file{.emacs} file.
21904 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21905 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21908 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21909 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21912 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21913 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21916 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21917 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21920 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21921 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21924 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21927 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21928 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21931 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21932 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21935 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21936 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21939 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21942 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21943 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21946 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21950 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21954 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21955 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21958 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
21964 @node September Gnus
21965 @subsubsection September Gnus
21969 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
21973 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
21978 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
21979 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
21983 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
21984 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
21988 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
21992 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
21993 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
21996 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
22000 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22003 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
22006 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
22009 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
22013 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
22014 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
22017 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
22021 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
22025 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
22029 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
22033 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
22036 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
22037 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
22040 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
22044 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
22045 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
22048 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
22051 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
22052 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
22053 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22056 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
22060 The Gnus cache is much faster.
22063 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
22067 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
22068 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
22071 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
22072 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
22075 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
22076 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22079 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
22080 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
22081 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
22084 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
22085 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
22088 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
22091 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22094 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
22097 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
22100 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
22101 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
22104 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
22108 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
22111 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
22116 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
22119 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
22123 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22126 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
22130 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
22133 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
22136 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
22137 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22140 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
22141 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
22145 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
22146 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
22149 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
22153 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
22154 buffer to allow easier treatment.
22157 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
22160 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
22164 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
22168 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
22169 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
22172 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
22176 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
22177 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22180 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
22181 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22184 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
22188 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
22191 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
22194 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
22200 @subsubsection Red Gnus
22202 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
22206 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
22213 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
22216 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
22217 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22220 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
22221 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
22225 Article washing status can be displayed in the
22226 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
22229 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
22232 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
22233 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
22236 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
22240 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
22241 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
22245 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
22246 Server Internals}).
22249 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
22253 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
22256 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
22257 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
22260 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
22261 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
22262 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
22265 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
22266 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22269 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
22270 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
22273 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
22277 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
22278 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22281 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
22282 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22285 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
22289 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
22292 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
22296 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
22297 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22300 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
22301 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
22304 A new command for reading collections of documents
22305 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
22306 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
22309 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
22313 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
22314 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
22317 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
22318 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
22319 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
22322 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
22323 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
22327 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
22331 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
22335 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
22340 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
22344 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
22348 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
22349 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
22352 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
22358 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
22360 New features in Gnus 5.6:
22365 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
22366 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
22367 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
22370 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
22371 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
22372 group, which is created automatically.
22375 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
22379 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
22382 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
22383 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
22386 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
22390 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
22393 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
22394 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
22397 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
22400 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
22401 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
22404 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
22405 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
22408 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
22409 control over simplification.
22412 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
22415 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
22419 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
22422 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
22425 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
22426 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
22427 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
22430 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
22431 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
22434 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
22438 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
22439 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
22442 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
22443 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
22446 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
22450 A history of where mails have been split is available.
22453 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
22456 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
22457 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
22460 A new function for citing in Message has been
22461 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
22464 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
22467 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
22471 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
22472 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
22475 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
22476 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
22479 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
22482 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
22486 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
22487 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
22489 New features in Gnus 5.8:
22494 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
22495 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
22497 If you used procmail like in
22500 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
22501 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
22502 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
22503 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
22506 this now has changed to
22510 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
22514 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
22515 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
22518 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
22519 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
22522 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
22523 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
22526 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
22527 called to position point.
22530 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
22531 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
22534 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
22535 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
22538 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
22539 subtly different manner.
22542 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
22543 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
22544 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
22547 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
22555 @section The Manual
22559 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
22560 either @code{texi2dvi}
22562 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
22563 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
22565 to get what you hold in your hands now.
22567 The following conventions have been used:
22572 This is a @samp{string}
22575 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
22578 This is a @file{file}
22581 This is a @code{symbol}
22585 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
22589 (setq flargnoze "yes")
22592 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
22595 (setq flumphel 'yes)
22598 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
22599 ever get them confused.
22603 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
22604 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
22605 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
22606 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
22607 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
22608 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
22609 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
22615 @node On Writing Manuals
22616 @section On Writing Manuals
22618 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
22619 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
22620 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
22621 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
22622 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
22623 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
22626 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
22627 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
22628 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
22631 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
22632 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
22637 @section Terminology
22639 @cindex terminology
22644 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
22645 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
22646 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
22647 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
22648 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
22652 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
22653 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
22654 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
22655 not posting, and replying is not following up.
22659 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
22663 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
22668 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
22669 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
22670 is all done by the back ends.
22674 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
22675 default, way of getting news.
22679 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
22680 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
22685 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
22686 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
22690 A message that has been posted as news.
22693 @cindex mail message
22694 A message that has been mailed.
22698 A mail message or news article
22702 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22707 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22712 A line from the head of an article.
22716 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22717 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22721 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22722 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22723 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22724 normal @sc{head} format.
22728 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22729 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22730 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22731 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22732 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22733 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22735 @item killed groups
22736 @cindex killed groups
22737 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22738 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22740 @item zombie groups
22741 @cindex zombie groups
22742 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22745 @cindex active file
22746 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22747 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22748 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22751 @cindex bogus groups
22752 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22753 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22754 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22757 @cindex activating groups
22758 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22759 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22760 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22764 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22766 @item select method
22767 @cindex select method
22768 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22771 @item virtual server
22772 @cindex virtual server
22773 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22774 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22775 whole is a virtual server.
22779 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22780 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22783 @item ephemeral groups
22784 @cindex ephemeral groups
22785 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22786 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22787 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22790 @cindex solid groups
22791 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22792 group buffer are solid groups.
22794 @item sparse articles
22795 @cindex sparse articles
22796 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22797 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22801 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22802 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22806 @cindex thread root
22807 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22808 articles in the thread.
22812 An article that has responses.
22816 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22820 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22821 specified by RFC 1153.
22827 @node Customization
22828 @section Customization
22829 @cindex general customization
22831 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22832 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22833 for some quite common situations.
22836 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22837 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22838 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22839 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22843 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22844 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
22846 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22847 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22848 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22852 @item gnus-read-active-file
22853 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22854 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22855 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22856 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22857 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22859 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22860 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22861 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22862 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22866 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22867 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22869 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22870 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22871 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22875 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22876 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22877 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22878 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22879 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22881 @item gnus-visible-headers
22882 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22883 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22884 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22885 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22887 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22889 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22890 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22891 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22894 @item gnus-use-full-window
22895 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22896 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22897 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22898 want to read them anyway.
22900 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22901 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22905 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22906 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22907 lines, which might save some time.
22911 @node Little Disk Space
22912 @subsection Little Disk Space
22915 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22916 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22920 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22921 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22922 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22923 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22926 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22927 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22928 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22929 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22932 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22933 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22934 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22935 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22936 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22942 @subsection Slow Machine
22943 @cindex slow machine
22945 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22946 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22948 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22949 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22951 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22952 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22953 summary buffer faster.
22957 @node Troubleshooting
22958 @section Troubleshooting
22959 @cindex troubleshooting
22961 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
22969 Make sure your computer is switched on.
22972 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
22973 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
22977 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
22978 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
22979 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
22980 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
22981 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
22984 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
22988 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
22989 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
22990 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
22991 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
22992 something like that.
22995 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
22998 @cindex reporting bugs
23000 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23002 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
23003 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
23004 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
23005 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
23007 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
23008 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
23009 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
23010 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
23013 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
23014 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
23015 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
23016 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
23017 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
23018 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
23020 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
23021 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
23022 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
23026 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
23027 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
23029 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
23030 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
23032 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
23033 @cindex ding mailing list
23034 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
23035 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
23039 @node Gnus Reference Guide
23040 @section Gnus Reference Guide
23042 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
23043 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
23044 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
23045 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
23048 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
23049 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
23050 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
23051 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
23052 and general methods of operation.
23055 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
23056 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
23057 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
23058 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
23059 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
23060 * Group Info:: The group info format.
23061 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
23062 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
23063 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
23067 @node Gnus Utility Functions
23068 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
23069 @cindex Gnus utility functions
23070 @cindex utility functions
23072 @cindex internal variables
23074 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
23075 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
23076 Below is a list of the most common ones.
23080 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
23081 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
23082 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
23084 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
23085 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
23086 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
23088 @item gnus-group-real-name
23089 @findex gnus-group-real-name
23090 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
23093 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
23094 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
23095 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
23096 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
23098 @item gnus-get-info
23099 @findex gnus-get-info
23100 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
23102 @item gnus-group-unread
23103 @findex gnus-group-unread
23104 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
23108 @findex gnus-active
23109 The active entry for @var{group}.
23111 @item gnus-set-active
23112 @findex gnus-set-active
23113 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
23115 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23116 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23117 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
23120 @item gnus-continuum-version
23121 @findex gnus-continuum-version
23122 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
23123 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
23126 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
23127 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
23128 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
23130 @item gnus-news-group-p
23131 @findex gnus-news-group-p
23132 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
23134 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23135 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
23136 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
23138 @item gnus-server-to-method
23139 @findex gnus-server-to-method
23140 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
23142 @item gnus-server-equal
23143 @findex gnus-server-equal
23144 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
23146 @item gnus-group-native-p
23147 @findex gnus-group-native-p
23148 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
23150 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
23151 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
23152 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
23154 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
23155 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
23156 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
23158 @item group-group-find-parameter
23159 @findex group-group-find-parameter
23160 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
23161 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
23163 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
23164 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
23165 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
23167 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
23168 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
23169 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
23171 @item gnus-check-backend-function
23172 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
23173 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
23174 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
23177 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
23181 @item gnus-read-method
23182 @findex gnus-read-method
23183 Prompts the user for a select method.
23188 @node Back End Interface
23189 @subsection Back End Interface
23191 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
23192 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
23193 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
23194 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
23195 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
23196 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
23198 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
23199 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
23200 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
23201 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
23202 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
23203 been opened, the function should fail.
23205 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
23206 name. Take this example:
23210 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
23211 (nntp-port-number 4324))
23214 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
23215 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
23217 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
23218 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
23219 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
23221 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
23222 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
23223 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
23225 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
23226 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
23227 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
23228 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
23229 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
23230 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
23233 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
23234 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
23235 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
23236 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
23239 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
23240 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
23241 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
23242 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
23243 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
23244 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
23245 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
23246 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
23247 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
23248 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
23250 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
23251 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
23252 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
23253 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
23254 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
23255 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
23256 of numbers as long as possible.
23258 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
23261 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
23264 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
23265 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
23266 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
23267 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
23268 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
23269 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
23273 @node Required Back End Functions
23274 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
23278 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
23280 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
23281 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
23282 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
23283 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
23285 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
23286 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
23287 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
23288 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
23290 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
23291 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
23292 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
23293 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
23294 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
23295 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
23296 number, do maximum fetches.
23298 Here's an example HEAD:
23301 221 1056 Article retrieved.
23302 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
23303 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
23304 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
23305 Subject: Re: Something very droll
23306 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
23307 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
23309 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
23310 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
23311 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
23315 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
23316 these in the data buffer.
23318 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
23322 head = error / valid-head
23323 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
23324 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
23325 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
23326 header = <text> eol
23329 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
23330 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
23334 nov-buffer = *nov-line
23335 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
23336 field = <text except TAB>
23339 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
23343 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
23345 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
23346 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
23348 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
23349 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
23350 server. In fact, it should do so.
23352 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
23353 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
23356 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
23358 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
23359 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
23362 There should be no data returned.
23365 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
23367 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
23368 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
23369 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
23370 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
23372 There should be no data returned.
23375 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
23377 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
23378 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
23379 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
23380 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
23382 There should be no data returned.
23385 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
23387 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
23389 There should be no data returned.
23392 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
23394 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
23395 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
23396 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
23397 it would be nice if that were possible.
23399 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
23400 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
23401 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
23402 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
23403 into its article buffer.
23405 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
23406 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
23407 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
23408 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
23409 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
23410 on successful article retrieval.
23413 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
23415 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
23416 making @var{group} the current group.
23418 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
23421 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
23424 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
23427 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
23428 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
23429 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
23430 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
23431 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
23432 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
23433 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
23434 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
23435 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
23439 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
23440 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
23441 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
23445 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23447 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
23448 a no-op on most back ends.
23450 There should be no data returned.
23453 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
23455 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
23458 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
23461 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
23462 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
23465 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
23466 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
23467 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
23468 and the highest as 0.
23471 active-file = *active-line
23472 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
23474 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
23477 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
23478 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
23479 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
23482 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
23484 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
23485 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
23486 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
23487 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
23488 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
23489 clear if the posting could not be completed.
23491 There should be no result data from this function.
23496 @node Optional Back End Functions
23497 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
23501 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
23503 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
23504 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
23505 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
23507 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
23508 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
23509 former is in the same format as the data from
23510 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
23511 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
23514 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
23518 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
23520 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
23521 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
23522 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
23523 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
23524 should return the (altered) group info.
23526 There should be no result data from this function.
23529 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
23531 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
23532 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
23533 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
23534 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
23535 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
23536 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
23537 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
23538 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
23540 There should be no result data from this function.
23543 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
23545 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
23546 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
23547 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
23548 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
23549 propagate the mark information to the server.
23551 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
23554 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
23557 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
23558 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
23559 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
23560 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
23561 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
23562 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
23563 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
23564 possible, not limit itself to these.
23566 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
23567 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
23568 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
23569 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
23571 An example action list:
23574 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
23575 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
23576 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
23579 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
23580 mark on (currently not used for anything).
23582 There should be no result data from this function.
23584 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
23586 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
23587 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
23588 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
23589 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
23590 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
23592 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
23593 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
23594 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
23597 There should be no result data from this function.
23600 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
23602 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
23603 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
23604 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
23605 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
23606 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
23607 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
23608 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
23610 There should be no result data from this function.
23613 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
23615 The result data from this function should be a description of
23619 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
23621 description = <text>
23624 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
23626 The result data from this function should be the description of all
23627 groups available on the server.
23630 description-buffer = *description-line
23634 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
23636 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
23637 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
23638 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
23639 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
23640 in the active buffer format.
23642 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
23643 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
23644 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
23645 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
23646 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
23647 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
23648 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
23651 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23653 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
23655 There should be no return data.
23658 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
23660 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
23661 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
23662 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
23663 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
23664 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
23667 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
23670 There should be no result data returned.
23673 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
23676 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
23677 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
23679 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
23680 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
23681 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
23682 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23683 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23684 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23686 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23687 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23690 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23691 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23693 There should be no data returned.
23696 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23698 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23699 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23700 this function in short order.
23702 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23703 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23705 There should be no data returned.
23708 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23710 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23711 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23713 There should be no data returned.
23716 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23718 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23719 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23720 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23722 There should be no data returned.
23725 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23727 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23728 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23730 There should be no data returned.
23735 @node Error Messaging
23736 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23738 @findex nnheader-report
23739 @findex nnheader-get-report
23740 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23741 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23742 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23743 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23744 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23745 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23748 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23750 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23753 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23754 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23755 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23756 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23758 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23759 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23760 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23763 @node Writing New Back Ends
23764 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23766 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23767 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23768 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23769 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23770 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23773 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23774 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23775 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23777 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23778 package called @code{nnoo}.
23780 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23781 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23787 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23788 parameters. For instance:
23791 (nnoo-declare nndir
23795 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23796 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23799 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23800 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23801 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23803 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23804 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23805 a function in those back ends.
23808 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23809 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23810 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23813 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23814 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23815 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23817 @item nnoo-define-basics
23818 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23822 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23826 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23827 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23828 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23830 @item nnoo-map-functions
23831 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23832 functions from the parent back ends.
23835 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23836 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23837 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23840 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23841 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23842 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23843 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23846 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23847 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23848 haven't already been defined.
23854 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23858 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23859 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23860 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23865 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23868 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23869 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23873 (require 'nnheader)
23877 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23879 (nnoo-declare nndir
23882 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23883 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23884 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23886 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23887 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23890 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23892 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23893 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23894 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23896 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23897 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23899 ;;; Interface functions.
23901 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23903 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23904 (setq nndir-directory
23905 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23907 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23908 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23909 (push `(nndir-current-group
23910 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23911 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23913 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23914 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23916 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23918 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23919 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23920 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23921 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23922 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23926 nnmh-status-message
23928 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23934 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23935 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23937 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23938 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23939 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23940 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23941 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23943 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23944 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23949 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23952 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23954 The abilities can be:
23958 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23960 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23962 This back end supports both mail and news.
23964 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
23967 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
23968 articles and groups.
23970 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
23971 true for almost all back ends.
23972 @item prompt-address
23973 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
23974 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
23975 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
23979 @node Mail-like Back Ends
23980 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
23982 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
23983 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
23984 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
23985 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
23988 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
23989 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
23990 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
23993 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
23994 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
23997 This function takes four parameters.
24001 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
24004 @item exit-function
24005 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
24007 @item temp-directory
24008 Where the temporary files should be stored.
24011 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
24012 performed for one group only.
24015 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
24016 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
24017 find the article number assigned to this article.
24019 The function also uses the following variables:
24020 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
24021 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
24022 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
24023 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
24027 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
24028 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
24032 @node Score File Syntax
24033 @subsection Score File Syntax
24035 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
24036 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
24037 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
24039 Here's a typical score file:
24043 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
24050 BNF definition of a score file:
24053 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
24054 element = rule / atom
24055 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
24056 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
24057 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
24058 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
24060 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
24061 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
24062 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
24063 date-header = "date"
24064 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24065 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24066 score = "nil" / <integer>
24067 date = "nil" / <natural number>
24068 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
24069 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
24070 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
24071 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
24072 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24073 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24074 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
24075 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24076 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
24077 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
24078 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
24079 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
24080 exclude-files / read-only / touched
24081 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
24082 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
24083 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
24084 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
24085 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
24086 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
24087 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
24088 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
24089 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
24090 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
24091 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
24092 eval = "eval" space <form>
24093 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
24096 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
24099 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
24100 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
24101 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
24102 one looong line, then that's ok.
24104 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
24105 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24109 @subsection Headers
24111 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
24112 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
24113 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
24114 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
24116 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
24117 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
24118 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
24119 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
24120 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
24121 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
24122 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
24124 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
24125 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
24126 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
24127 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
24128 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
24130 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
24131 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
24137 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
24138 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
24140 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
24141 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
24142 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
24143 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
24145 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
24149 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
24152 is transformed into
24155 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
24158 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
24159 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
24162 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
24165 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
24166 is slightly tricky:
24169 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
24175 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
24178 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
24184 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
24191 and is equal to the previous range.
24193 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
24194 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
24195 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
24199 range = simple-range / normal-range
24200 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
24201 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
24202 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
24203 number *[ " " contents ]
24206 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
24207 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
24208 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
24209 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
24210 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
24215 @subsection Group Info
24217 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
24218 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
24219 describes the group.
24221 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
24222 second is a more complex one:
24225 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
24227 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
24228 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
24230 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
24233 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
24234 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
24235 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
24236 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
24237 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
24238 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
24239 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
24240 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
24241 this section is about.
24243 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
24244 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
24245 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
24247 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
24250 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
24251 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
24252 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24253 group = quote <string> quote
24254 ralevel = rank / level
24255 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24256 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
24257 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
24259 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
24260 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
24261 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
24262 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
24265 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
24266 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
24269 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
24270 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
24273 @item gnus-info-group
24274 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
24275 @findex gnus-info-group
24276 @findex gnus-info-set-group
24277 Get/set the group name.
24279 @item gnus-info-rank
24280 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
24281 @findex gnus-info-rank
24282 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
24283 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
24285 @item gnus-info-level
24286 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
24287 @findex gnus-info-level
24288 @findex gnus-info-set-level
24289 Get/set the group level.
24291 @item gnus-info-score
24292 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
24293 @findex gnus-info-score
24294 @findex gnus-info-set-score
24295 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
24297 @item gnus-info-read
24298 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
24299 @findex gnus-info-read
24300 @findex gnus-info-set-read
24301 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
24303 @item gnus-info-marks
24304 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
24305 @findex gnus-info-marks
24306 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
24307 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
24309 @item gnus-info-method
24310 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
24311 @findex gnus-info-method
24312 @findex gnus-info-set-method
24313 Get/set the group select method.
24315 @item gnus-info-params
24316 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
24317 @findex gnus-info-params
24318 @findex gnus-info-set-params
24319 Get/set the group parameters.
24322 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
24323 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
24325 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
24326 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
24327 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
24328 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
24331 @node Extended Interactive
24332 @subsection Extended Interactive
24333 @cindex interactive
24334 @findex gnus-interactive
24336 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
24337 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
24338 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
24341 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
24342 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
24347 The best thing to do would have been to implement
24348 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
24349 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
24350 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
24351 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
24352 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
24353 @code{interactive}.
24355 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
24360 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
24361 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
24365 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
24366 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
24367 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
24370 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
24374 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
24378 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
24384 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
24385 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
24389 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
24390 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
24391 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
24393 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
24394 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
24395 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
24396 Gnus, that's very useful.
24398 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
24399 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
24400 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
24401 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
24402 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
24403 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
24404 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
24405 following function:
24408 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
24412 (,function ,@@args))
24416 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
24417 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
24418 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
24421 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
24422 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
24423 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
24425 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
24426 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
24427 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
24430 @node Various File Formats
24431 @subsection Various File Formats
24434 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
24435 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
24439 @node Active File Format
24440 @subsubsection Active File Format
24442 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
24443 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
24446 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
24449 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
24450 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
24451 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
24452 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
24453 no.general 1000 900 y
24456 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
24459 active = *group-line
24460 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
24461 group = <non-white-space string>
24463 high-number = <non-negative integer>
24464 low-number = <positive integer>
24465 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
24468 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
24469 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
24472 @node Newsgroups File Format
24473 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
24475 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
24476 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
24477 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
24480 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
24481 Here's the definition:
24485 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
24486 group = <non-white-space string>
24488 description = <string>
24493 @node Emacs for Heathens
24494 @section Emacs for Heathens
24496 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
24497 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
24498 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
24499 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
24500 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
24501 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
24502 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
24506 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
24507 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
24512 @subsection Keystrokes
24516 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
24519 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
24522 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
24523 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
24524 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
24525 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
24526 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
24527 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
24529 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
24530 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
24531 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
24532 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
24533 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
24534 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
24535 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
24537 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
24538 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
24539 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
24540 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
24541 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
24542 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
24543 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
24545 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
24546 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
24547 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
24548 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
24549 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
24555 @subsection Emacs Lisp
24557 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
24558 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
24559 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
24560 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
24562 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
24563 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
24564 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
24565 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
24566 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
24567 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
24568 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
24571 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
24572 write the following:
24575 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
24578 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
24579 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
24580 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
24583 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
24584 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
24585 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
24586 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
24587 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
24589 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
24590 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
24591 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
24595 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
24599 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
24602 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
24603 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
24606 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
24609 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
24610 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
24613 @include gnus-faq.texi
24633 @c Local Variables:
24635 @c coding: iso-8859-1
24637 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
24638 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
24639 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
24640 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
24641 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref